Here's a quick synopsis of all the postseason awards garnered by Detroit Tigers players after the conclusion of the 2011 season:

MIGUEL CABRERA
• Miguel Cabrera wins Luis Aparicio Award
(best Venezuelan player in MLB)

JUSTIN VERLANDER
• Verlander named to The Sporting News' AL All-Star team (unanimous selection)
• Verlander named The Sporting News' MLB Player of the Year
• Verlander wins a pair of Players Choice awards, becoming the second pitcher to win Player of the Year.
• Verlander wins his first AL Cy Young award.
• Verlander bucks the odds, voter bias to become first pitcher in 19 years to win AL Most Valuable Player award.

ALEX AVILA
• Avila named as the catcher for The Sporting News' AL All-Star team
• Avila a finalist for AL Gold Glove at catcher.
• Avila wins his first Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award.

JOSE VALVERDE
• Valverde named MLB Delivery Man of the Year (best reliever in MLB)

AUSTIN JACKSON
• Jackson a finalist for AL Gold Glove in center field.
• With his league-leading 22 runs saved, Jackson wins the Fielding Bible's 2011 award for center fielders.

AL ALBURQUERQUE
• Al-Al was named the 2011 Detroit Tigers Rookie of the Year by the Detroit Sports Broadcasters' Association.

In a move that will be perhaps the least surprising of the 2012 offseason, the Detroit Tigers announced Friday that they'd picked up the club option on closer Jose Valverde's contract, for $9 million.

Valverde was a perfect 49-for-49 in save chances during the regular season, then went 3-for-3 in the postseason for the Tigers, just the third MLB closer in history to record more than 40 saves without blowing one. Eric Gagne ('03) and Brad Lidge ('08) were the others.

Along the way, Valverde broke Guillermo Hernandez's club record for consecutive saves (set at 32 in 1984), and Todd Jones' club record for saves in a season (set at 42 in 2000). The season earned Valverde a spot on the American League All-Star team midseason for the second year in a row, as well as the MLB Delivery Man of the Year Award, given annually to the game's best reliever.

The Tigers signed Valverde as a free agent from the Houston Astros in January of 2010, giving him a two-year, $14 million contract, with an option for a third year. The option will raise his annual salary slightly from $7 million in 2011 to $9 million next year.

Given his two-year total of 78 saves, and considering the underwhelming crop of closers on the free-agent market (many of them either coming off injury or poor seasons), it's entirely unsurprising the Tigers stuck with a known commodity.