ORIGINAL POST: The first big splash of the Major League Baseball offseason reportedly occurred in the Motor City.
The Detroit Tigers have agreed to a contract with free-agent starter Jordan Zimmermann, according to CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman. The deal reportedly is pending a physical.
The right-hander was considered one of the top free agents available this winter, joining the likes of David Price, Zack Greinke and Johnny Cueto in a stacked starting pitching market.
FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi and Ken Rosenthal first reported Saturday night that Zimmermann was in discussions with the Tigers and that talks had become “serious.”
Zimmermann, who spent his first seven seasons with the Washington Nationals, went 13-10 with a 3.66 ERA in 33 starts for the Nats in 2015. He’s posted a 58-32 record with a 3.13 ERA over the last four years while starting at least 32 games and topping 195 innings each season.
Zimmermann will turn 30 in May. He’ll join a Tigers rotation that lost Max Scherzer last offseason and David Price before the 2015 MLB non-waiver trade deadline.
UPDATE (12:29 p.m. ET): Zimmermann’s deal has an average annual value of $22 million per season, according to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick.
Thumbnail photo via Tommy Gilligan/USA TODAY Sports Images
