The Tigers said yesterday the 33-year-old Martinez tore his left ACL last week. An MRI Monday in Lakeland, Fla., revealed the injury. The designated hitter and catcher will be evaluated again next week, but the team fully expects Martinez to need surgery.

Detroit won the AL Central by 15 games last year and reached the AL Championship Series behind Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, and Martinez. The Tigers suddenly face a much murkier outlook for 2012.

“After you feel sorry for yourself for a day or so, you move on,’’ general manager Dave Dombrowski said. “We’ve got a lot of players who will step up.’’

Martinez hit .330 with 103 RBIs in 2011, helping Detroit win the division in his first season with the Tigers. He signed a $50 million, four-year deal before last season after playing for the Red Sox for a year and a half.

A Giant raise?

Giants ace Tim Lincecum asked for $21.5 million in salary arbitration and was offered $17 million by the club. The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner’s request neared the record amount sought in arbitration. Houston pitcher Roger Clemens asked for $22 million in 2005. San Francisco’s offer was the highest in arbitration history, topping the $14.25 million the Yankees proposed for shortstop Derek Jeter in 2001. The Giants also agreed to a three-year contract with All-Star third baseman Pablo Sandoval . . . The Cubs will go to arbitration with starting pitcher Matt Garza. The former Rays ace asked for $12.5 million and the Cubs countered at $7.95 million, the largest gap between any player and team in the majors . . . Lefthander Cole Hamels and the Phillies agreed on a $15 million, one-year contract . . . Cut loose by Arizona last month, former All-Star pitcher Joe Saunders agreed to a $6 million, one-year contract to return to the Diamondbacks . . . Andre Ethier ($10.9 million) and James Loney ($6.3 million) agreed to one-year contracts with the Dodgers.

Rangers on clock

With the deadline looming to complete a deal with Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish, the Rangers agreed to terms with pitchers Mike Adams ($4.4 million), Mark Lowe ($4.4 million), and Matt Harrison ($2.9 million), and outfielder David Murphy ($3.6 million). The two-time defending AL champions were also working to finish a multiyear deal with Darvish before their 30-day negotiating window ends today at 4 p.m. CST. Texas last month bid a record $51.7 million under the posting system to win the right just to negotiate with the 25-year-old Darvish . . . The Brewers, meanwhile, did beat today’s deadline by signing Japanese star outfielder Norichika Aoki to a two-year deal with a club option for 2014. Aoki, 30, hit over .300 in six of his seven full seasons in Japan’s Central League. Financial terms were not disclosed. The Brewers also agreed to a one-year deal worth $8 million with reliever Francisco Rodriguez . . . Relievers Joba Chamberlain, recovering from elbow ligament replacement surgery, and David Robertson agreed to one-year contracts with the Yankees . . . Center fielder B.J. Upton and pitchers David Price and Burke Badenhop agreed to one-year contracts with the Rays . . . The Orioles hired former major league pitching coach Rick Peterson to be their director of pitching development . . . The Indians avoided arbitration with five players, agreeing to one-year deals with right fielder Shin-Soo Choo ($4.9 million), pitchers Chris Perez ($4.5 million), Justin Masterson ($3.8 million), and Joe Smith ($1.7 million), and infielder Jack Hannahan ($1.1 million).