The Tigers would save a lot of money by letting go of Scherzer to free agency. Even after inking David Price for $19.75 million over one-year they would still have enough to make a move for Shields because he would cost reasonably less than Scherzer. Dombrowski is not afraid to spend big on pitching to win a championship. Two years ago, he signed Justin Verlander to a seven-year, $180 million extension.
Losing Rick Porcello to the Boston Red Sox via trade and possibly Scherzer would hurt the Tigers in many ways, but acquiring Shields would help fill the void in Detroit's rotation. Verlander has also struggled in the past two seasons.
Bringing Price back was a huge asset for potentially getting Shields. Both will be free agents after the 2015 season. However, a bigger role is their friendship status: best friends.
- Evan Petzold