Infielder Fryman Signs Five-Year, $25-Million Deal With the Tigers

Detroit Tiger infielder Travis Fryman agreed to a five-year, $25-million contract Tuesday, the second largest for a player with only three years of major league experience.

Frank Thomas of the Chicago White Sox received the largest for a third-year player when he recently signed a four-year, $29.5-million deal.

Fryman, who batted .300 with 22 homers and 97 runs batted in, will receive a $2-million signing bonus and yearly salaries of $2 million, $3.75 million, $4.75 million, $6 million and $6.5 million.

The Fryman and Thomas contracts seem to belie speculation that the salary escalation in baseball will be slowed by the anticipated $7-million-per club loss in national TV revenue.

However, in the cases of Fryman and Thomas, their respective clubs are buying out three years of arbitration eligibility and two of free agency.

“I think you’re still going to see clubs trying to tie up their young superstars in long-term deals so that they have a better idea of their fixed payroll,” said Fryman’s agent, Alan Meersand of Manhattan Beach. “In Travis’ case, you have an owner (Mike Illitch) who wants to win and a player who wants to spend his career with the one club.”