It was only a matter of time, but the Tigers and Kenny Rogers got the deal done today. The deal is believe to be around a $8M one-year deal with incentives based on appearances and performance. Kenny suggests that he gave a discount to pitch in Detroit:

“I have no doubt at all that I didn’t get as much as if I wanted to be on the free-agent market. There’s a shortage of pitching out there. But it wasn’t something that appealed to me. I didn’t really want to go and start over somewhere else.”

It’s possible but if true it’s not far from what he’d have received elsewhere. Kenny, while removing Scott Boras from the situation, had already received benefit from his interference.

Signing Kenny was pretty much essential for the team and leaves only one rotation slot up for grabs during spring training. The rotation currently sits at:

• SP1 - Justin Verlander
• SP2 - Kenny Rogers
• SP3 - Jeremy Bonderman
• SP4 - Nate Robertson

The last slot will be competed for by Andrew Miller, Chad Durbin and Yorman Bazardo. Jason Beck also suggests that Jose Capellan and Zach Miner are competing for the slot but they’d have to be pretty amazing in spring training to get a nod there. I see Miller as the most likely for the slot though he isn’t a “sure thing”.

I’m glad to have Kenny’s deal behind us and allow Dombrowski to concentrate on other major needs, such as the bullpen, at the winter meetings next week.