It all seemed to fit in one cohesive narrative: The Tigers were cutting payroll where they could, and the days of being one of baseball’s biggest spenders was over. At least for 2010.

But, something funny happened on the way to mediocrity. The Tigers stared spending money. And, not an insignificant amount either.

First, it was the signing of Jose Valverde to a contract, which could be worth as much as $23 million over three seasons to be the team’s closer.

Then, there was talk the Tigers may be interested in bringing Johnny Damon aboard. The 36-year-old could the cost the team $10 million — and would certainly not be a signing which matches up with a team looking to get younger and cut payroll.

via Jose Valverde signing shows Tigers’ trade of Curtis Granderson was never about money | Cutoff Man – A Detroit Tigers Blog – MLive.com.