8:30pm: It’s a $5.5MM guarantee, with an additional $2.5MM available in incentives, reports Jon Heyman of the MLB Network (Twitter link).
8:16pm: The Tigers are in agreement with free agent starter Michael Pineda on a one-year deal, pending a physical, reports Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free-Press (on Twitter).
Detroit has ben searching for additional rotation help in recent days. General manager Al Avila acknowledged they made an unsuccessful run at Zack Greinke before he signed with the division-rival Royals. The Tigers were linked to Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea, both of whom the A’s have made available via trade. Avila implied yesterday that the Detroit front office might not meet the A’s ask on those two starters, though, and it seems Pineda will instead be the fortifying option they add at the back of the rotation.
Tigers fans have seen plenty of the big right-hander over the past few years. Pineda has spent the last three seasons with the Twins, generally offering capable if not overwhelming production. He worked 282 cumulative innings with Minnesota, pitching to a 3.80 ERA while holding opponents to a .257/.296/.428 slash line. Pineda’s 21.6% strikeout rate in that time was a bit below the league mark, but he only walked 4.8% of batters faced and generally did well to keep the ball in the park.
More to come.