Time For A Magglio Ordonez Vesting 2011 Contract Update

Do the Tigers want to pay Ordonez $15 million next year? Is there anything they can do about it?

Last season the Tigers dealt with a minor controversy surrounding Magglio’s Ordonez’s 2010 contract with the team, which was tied to playing time. With 124 starts in 2009, Ordonez’s option for a 2010 contract would vest, paying him a wholly outrageous $18 million dollars. The Tigers briefly attempted to bench Ordonez in June, but after a few days of controversy and threats of a Union grievance, the healthy but not super productive Ordonez returned to the lineup. Ordonez ended up having a mediocre season, hitting .310 with no power and bad defense, but the Tigers found themselves in a pennant race and without any better options. Ordonez earned his 2010 contract, and is making that $18 million this year.

The Tigers face the same scenario this year. If Ordonez starts in 135 games in 2010, his 2011 option will vest, paying him $15 million for next season. (Ordonez can also vest the option via plate appearances, but the math is basically the same assuming the Tigers don’t start doing very weird things like inserting him as pinch hitter in the 2nd inning of every game.) To date, the Tigers have started Ordonez in 37 of the team’s 38 games, meaning he’s well on pace to cross the threshold. Absent a trip to the DL, it looks like Ordonez will be back in 2011.

Paying Ordonez that salary will be painful, but the battle was really lost in 2009, when the Tigers couldn’t get out of the 2010 option, which begat the 2011 option, combining for a $33 million dollar outlay. One wonders if the Tigers couldn’t have merely signed a mid-level OF free agent prior to the 2009 season, reasonably justifying a platoon, and therefore escaping their obligation.

For what its worth, Ordonez is having a mild bounce-back season, hitting .313/.394/.472, with 5 home runs.