--3B Miguel Cabrera will earn $22 million in each of the final two years of his seven-year extension with the Detroit Tigers, 2014 and 2015. His current salary remains at the agreed-upon $11.3 million but kicks to $15 million in 2009, $20 million in 2010 and $21 million the next two seasons. It is the richest contract in Detroit sports history and the fourth-largest ever in baseball.

"If you look at where this organization was a few years ago," said his agent, Fernando Cuza, "it's a place where people want to play now. It's a team on people's radars. It was a gutsy move by the Tigers. If they were to compete for him on the free agent market (in 2009), it would be very difficult."

"I feel good here," Cabrera said. "I wanna say we are a winning team and we're gonna be a winning team."

"I'm very impressed," GM Dave Dombrowski said. "It's easy to see: He's in good shape. He's worked hard. He's moving around third base fine. He has soft hands. He has a great arm. If he keeps himself in the shape he is -- which I believe he will -- he can play third base for years. I'm thrilled to see that. He likes to play third base, and he's good at it. He's only going to get better."

--LHP Tim Byrdak, the feel-good story of last season for the Tigers, was unconditionally released Wednesday by Detroit. Byrdak faced five batters in his final appearance for the club the day before, walking four and allowing a single. He gave up 21 hits in 10 innings this spring, allowing 15 runs.

"For us, it was a matter of making a decision today," GM Dave Dombrowski said. "We just didn't feel comfortable that he could help our big-league club. Last night didn't help his chances."

Called up early in 2007, Byrdak went 3-0 with a 3.20 ERA but was having problems throwing strikes this spring.

Cutting Byrdak left Detroit with just one left-hander in its bullpen, Bobby Seay, and the team lacks a ready candidate in the minors.

--UT Brandon Inge is going to be Detroit's center fielder for the next three weeks while regular CF Curtis Granderson recovers from a broken bone in his right middle finger.

"I'm glad I'm playing, but it's for two weeks," Inge said. "It's his spot. I know my role. I'll just go about my business and keep quiet."

Manager Jim Leyland said he had a fruitful conversation with Inge on Sunday when Detroit learned Granderson would be out of action until the second or third week of April.

"I think Brandon is happier leaving camp than he was coming in," Leyland said. "We've gotten everything sorted out. His attitude is tremendous, our relationship is tremendous, and we don't pull any punches. I think, no matter how this plays out, if he's with us, I think he'll leave camp a lot happier than when he came in and a lot more at ease mentally."

"I know my role if I'm on this team, and there's a pretty good chance that I am," Inge said. "I'm on line 100 percent that this is where I am. I'm with this team, and I'm going to do everything I can to help out -- whatever it takes to help out. I'm not mad at anyone and I'm not having a bad attitude. I'm just doing my business, I'm going to go out and prepare myself for every day, every position."

--SS Edgar Renteria is expected to be the predominant leadoff batter until CF Curtis Granderson recovers from his broken finger to reclaim his spot in the lineup. Renteria has seldom hit leadoff during his major league career but has a career batting average of .291, an on-base percentage of .349 and a low strikeout rate. "I'm thinking Renteria is the logical choice right now," manager Jim Leyland said. "I don't like to do it. I like him down a little bit more. It's just the way it is. I think if you look at Renteria's RBIs, it's not that he's been a huge, huge RBI guy, but he's been one of the best in baseball in knocking in huge runs. His numbers aren't huge, but when he knocks in 70, there's a good chance that those 70 were more important than somebody else's 70. He knocks in the big ones at the right time." Leyland indicated C Ivan Rodriguez likely will lead off against some left-handed pitchers.

--RHP Denny Bautista will open the season as Detroit's eighth-inning pitcher. "I don't know how it's going to play out," manager Jim Leyland said. "I don't know if he'll throw it in the ocean on Opening Day, but he has the stuff to get left-handed hitters and right-handed hitters out. He has an excellent curve, an excellent slider and a very good fastball."

Bautista's string of eight scoreless appearances ended with runs in his next two, but his spring ERA was 1.42 through Wednesday. "He came in here with the history of having a good arm, but he showed me more than a good arm," Leyland said. "He's shown me three good pitches. He's obviously had a very good spring, which I don't put a lot of stock in, but his stuff is better than I thought. I thought he'd be a hard thrower without much to go with it, but on the contrary, he has a good curveball and a good slider. He'll get an opportunity to show us he belongs in the big leagues, and I think he does. But it will be up to him as it is with anybody else. All we can do is provide opportunities."

--OF Clete Thomas, a non-roster invitee to spring training, is in the running to be the short-term roster replacement for injured CF Curtis Granderson. Thomas will accompany the Tigers to Houston for weekend exhibition games even though he was sent back to minor league camp March 12. Also under consideration to fill in while Granderson recuperates is OF Freddy Guzman, who started Wednesday.

--RHP Yorman Bazardo might have clinched one of two vacancies in the Tigers bullpen with three scoreless innings in a Sunday start. Bazardo has been bothered by family troubles and nagging injuries but is seen as Detroit's best candidate for a job as a starter if something happens to one of the rotation members. "I felt a lot better," Bazardo said. "My mechanics had been kind of out of rhythm. I think I did pretty good (Sunday). Hopefully (manager Jim) Leyland will keep me in mind and give me a shot." Bazardo also would be a candidate to be a back-end bullpen pitcher because he throws hard and has more than one pitch.

BY THE NUMBERS
181 -- Streak of consecutive errorless games 2B Placido Polanco will take into the first game of the season. The major league record streak for a second baseman began in July 2006.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"I feel comfortable here." -- 3B Miguel Cabrera after news leaked of the eight-year contract extension he had agreed to with Detroit calling for an average $19 million per season.

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