The Detroit Tigers have agreed to a contract with free agent catcher Victor Martinez, according to multiple reports. Martinez’s deal is for four years, and they will pay the switch-hitting catcher roughly $50 million.
Martinez may catch less often with Detroit than he has in previous seasons, seeing more time at designated hitter as he ages.
For the Tigers, Martinez is a coup.
He batted .302/.351/.493, and launched 20 home runs in 538 plate appearances for the Red Sox in 2010, a pretty typical season for the four-time All-Star.
He will hit somewhere in the middle of the order, and eliminate Detroit as a destination for free agent slugger, Adam Dunn.
What does the move mean for the Tigers?
Can they now contend with the two-time defending champion Minnesota Twins for AL Central supremacy?
To begin answering that question, here is the projected lineup for the 2011 Tigers, featuring their new addition.