Tigers GM Al Avila says that despite the lack of trades or big offseason changes, he believes the 2017 Tigers could win a championship.
He spoke to the media Thursday afternoon at the Detroit Sports Broadcasting Association luncheon for the last time before he leaves for Spring Training in Florida.
Avila says the team was looking to make changes, but they weren't actively shopping players the way some fans thought they were. Avila said there were no deals available that would allow the team to dump salary while still fielding a competitive team.
When asked about the fact that the team will likely need to get rid of salaries in 2018, Avila said 'change' is still what they'll be after and that they will absolutely not go over the luxury tax in 2018. Avila reminded everyone that their payroll is over $200 million, and that they have no intentions of carrying all of those salaries -- and exceeding the luxury tax -- for the third straight year.
