Miguel Cabrera signed a seven-year extension to his 2007 one-year contract over the weekend. Pending a physical today, he will be $141m richer than he was a week ago. He joins fellow Detroit Tigers Curtis Granderson and Dontrelle Willis with lucrative ink stains on their signing hands last winter. Eyes have popped at each of the contracts, none moreso than Cabrera.

Mike Ilitch, the owner of the Little Caesars pizza chain and the Tigers, has jacked the Opening Day payroll over $95m this season, up from $47m in 2004. His controversial signings of Ivan Rodriguez, Magglio Ordoñez, and Gary Sheffield have yielded a highly competitive team; these newest extensions solidify the future of the franchise on the field.

While Cabrera’s new contract might be the most lucrative, it’s not the most important extension Ilitch has ever given out. No, that honor goes to…
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