Miguel Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers have reached a preliminary agreement on a $152.3 million, eight-year contract, according a personal familiar with the deal.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Sunday because the contract was not yet final. The third baseman must pass a physical before the agreement can be finalized.
Cabrera agreed on Jan. 18 to an $11.3 million salary for this season. The new deal adds $141 million over the following seven seasons.
Cabrera will earn $15 million in 2009, when he would have been eligible for salary arbitration. He will average $21 million annually over the next six seasons, when he would have been eligible for free agency.
Cabrera’s average salary of $19,037,500 will be the fourth-highest in the major leagues behind those of New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez ($27.5 million), New York Mets pitcher Johan Santana ($22,916,667) and Boston left fielder Manny Ramirez ($20 million).
His deal will be the fourth-highest package. Rodriguez is starting a $275 million,
10-year contract, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is entering the eighth season of a $189 million, 10-year deal and Ramirez is in the final guaranteed season of a $160 million, eight-year contract.
Aspects of Cabrera’s agreement were first reported by ESPNdeportes.com.
Detroit acquired Cabrera from the Florida Marlins during December’s winter meetings along with pitcher Dontrelle Willis.

Granderson on DL

Detroit center fielder Curtis Granderson was placed on the 15-day disabled list and will miss opening day.
A finger on his right hand was broken Saturday when he was hit by a fastball from Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Travis Blackley in the fourth and final inning of a rained-out game.
Granderson and the team had hoped the injury was merely a bruise. But precautionary X-rays revealed the break. Granderson, who was wearing a splint on the hand Sunday, said he likely will miss a minimum of three weeks.

Backing up

Andy Pettitte underwent treatment but did not play catch Sunday, one day after being scratched from a scheduled start due to back spasms.
“I was really feeling pretty good last night, and feeling good about it, what today was going to bring,” Pettitte said. “Then I woke up this morning and it was kind of tight on me again. I’ve already lost two days. I don’t want to set it back any. I’m just going to wait until tomorrow and hopefully it’s a lot better and I can feel comfortable playing catch.”

Sox rout Yomiuri

Before the game, J.D. Drew watched a replay on the scoreboard of his grand slam in Game 6 of last year’s AL Championship Series.
Then he hit another one that meant much less.
Still, his second homer in two exhibition games was a good sign that he’s ready for a strong start to his second season with the Red Sox. That begins Tuesday night with the first of two games in Tokyo Dome against Oakland.
“I’m just going to keep a positive attitude, try to take good quality at-bats and pick up where I left off last season,” Drew said after the 9-2 exhibition win over the Yomiuri Giants on their home field. “Hopefully, we can just roll into a good start of the season.”

More surgery

Milwaukee left-hander Chris Capuano was told that he has a torn ligament in his pitching elbow and will probably need Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career.
The 29-year-old Capuano injured his elbow in an exhibition game Monday against Seattle. He had an MRI on Thursday and team physician William Raasch confirmed the diagnosis of a torn ulnar collateral ligament.
 

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