Tigers avoid arbitration with Byrdak

Tigers avoid arbitration with Byrdak
Detroit reportedly signs left-handed reliever to one-year deal

Tim Byrdak has spent a great deal of the last 13 years bouncing around various organizations and navigating his way between the Majors and the Minors.

But a 2007 season in which he provided some relief to the Tigers bullpen has led to a nice reward for the left-hander.

The Tigers have avoided arbitration with Byrdak and signed him to a one-year deal for 2008, according to a source. Byrdak will reportedly make $712,500 next season, with $12,500 in incentives.

The 34-year-old Byrdak was a fifth-round pick in the 1994 First-Year Player Draft by the Royals, and he pitched in the Cleveland, Baltimore and San Diego systems, as well as the independent Northern League in the years that followed, enduring two elbow surgeries along the way.

In '07, though, his emergence from a Minor League contract was important for a Tigers team that had suffered the loss of Jamie Walker to free agency last winter and was in need of some left-handed relief help.

Byrdak made 39 appearances out of the Tigers bullpen, going 3-0 with a 3.20 ERA. He struck out 49 batters in 45 innings of work.

The Tigers still have six other players -- left-handers Dontrelle Willis, Nate Robertson and Bobby Seay, right-hander Chad Durbin, third baseman Miguel Cabrera and outfielder Marcus Thames -- eligible for salary arbitration. Wednesday is the deadline for the club to tender a contract to those players.

One down....six to go!!

The Birdman returneth!!

GO Birdman!

Yay for Tim! That's a nice raise he got!

GOOO Big BYRDak!

GOOO Big BYRDak!

omg.. sorry i know this is supposed to be about byrdak so Yay Byrdak good job on getting resigned...

but anyway what i was going to say is i love your signature cd!

GO BYRDAK!

Hey I am going to see him on Sunday.

Say hi from saint!!

and from gs78!

GO BYRDAK GO!

gs78 wrote:

and from gs78!

And whoever the hell I am!

Who are you again??

gs78 wrote:

and from gs78!

and TG!

tigersgirl wrote:

omg.. sorry i know this is supposed to be about byrdk so Yay Byrdk go job on getting resigned...

but anyway what i was going to say is i love your signature cd!

thanks!

tigersaint wrote:

Who are you again??

bobrob2004 wrote:

tigersaint wrote:

Who are you again??

Well if you don't know, better ask your mama! :haha:

I asked my momma, she don't know him either.....

So...who am I?

Lost???

Mindless?

gogetemtigers wrote:

Lost???

Mindless?

It's an identity crisis! Earlier I thought I was a White Sox fan! I almost jumped off a bridge before I came to! Whew! That was a close one!

bobrob2004 wrote:

gogetemtigers wrote:

Lost???

Mindless?

It's an identity crisis! Earlier I thought I was a White Sox fan! I almost jumped off a bridge before I came to! Whew! That was a close one!

Now why would any Whitesox fan want to jump off a bridge.....

AND RUIN A PERFECTLY GOOD RIVER!!

tigersaint wrote:

Now why would any Whitesox fan want to jump off a bridge.....

AND RUIN A PERFECTLY GOOD RIVER!!