With the pitchers and catchers a few weeks a way from reporting, the Detroit Tigers payroll is just about set unless they add another arm late in the hot stove season.  The only remaining arbitration case out there is the biggest in J.D. Martinez.  MLB Trade Rumors is projecting J.D. to get $7.8mm, but you have to wonder if Detroit is trying to extend him at this point.

That said, if J.D. does come in around $7.8mm, Detroit will have surpassed the luxury tax threshold of $189mm for the first time (more on the Lux Tax here) at an estimated payroll of $199.6mm and will be hit with a 17.5% penalty.   The tax would equate to an estimated incremental $1.86mm.  If the Tigers add any additional payroll through out the year, that figure goes up.

Keep an eye on how the team performs as well, as Detroit is already estimated in 2017 to be at $205.7mm as J.D. Martinez last year of arbitration, Jose Iglesias 2nd year, and Nick Castellanos first year would push to that figure.

Detroit’s top salaries for 2016 look like this…

1. Miguel Cabrera – $28m
2. Justin Verlander – $28m
3. Justin Upton – $22.12m
4. Jordan Zimmerman – $18m
5. Victor Martinez – $18m
6. Anibal Sanchez – $16.8m
7. Ian Kinsler – $14m
8. Cameron Maybin – $8m
9. Mike Pelfrey – $8m
10. J.D. Martinez – $7.8m*
11. Francisco Rodriguez – $7.5m
12. Mark Lowe – $5.5m

* Projected Arbitration salary for 2017