Tigers GM Al Avila Says Club Is Going After Two Starting Pitchers
By Ashley Scoby
@AshleyScoby
Tigers general manager and vice president of baseball operations Al Avila says the team's focus in the offseason is finding two more starting pitchers.
Most of the players that the club is going after are free agents rather than players that the Tigers will trade for, according to Avila, who was a guest on MLB Network's "Hot Stove."
"(Justin Verlander and Anibal Sanchez) coming back really gives us a lift and positive hope going into next year," he said. "In saying that we need to go out and get two more starting pitchers and the reason I say that is because some of the young guys that we have that we like, we would like to not push them so much where we're going in with three young guys and trying to win a championship. You can have one guy in there but you can't have three."
Detroit recently picked up the contract of Luis Cessa from Toledo, and bought out 40-year-old Joe Nathan's contract.
Daniel Norris is also recovering from thyroid surgery, after a cancerous tumor was removed a few weeks ago. He is expected to be ready for spring training.
Sanchez, one of the veterans that Avila is hoping can lead the team next year, is healthy now after an injury-plagued 2015. According to Avila, Sanchez was "healthy and ready to go" at the end of last season, but the team chose to shut him down anyways.
As the Tigers search the free agent market for their future starting pitchers, they're not exactly working with piles of money to pay them.
"I would say it's probably more restrictive this year just because you have the money invested in so many guys already," Avila said. "But in saying that, (owner) Mr. (Mike) Ilitch obviously still wants to go out there and try to win a championship, so we will be out there in the free agent market trying to do the best we can with the money that we have."
To "fix" Detroit's bullpen, Avila said, the organization will look within. The best option for developing that bullpen is having "homegrown" talent coming through the farm system, and constantly evaluating where that talent is in their development.
"Now in saying that, when you don't have that coming through then you have to go out and acquire players either via trade or free agency," Avila said. "We're really evaluating the possible in-house candidates … We'll make decisions in spring training, but at the same time here in the offseason, we've got to target the best available relievers. … You can't just say I'm gonna give this guy an opportunity from within and then not try to do your due diligence in acquiring a guy through free agency or trade, so it's really a combination of everything."
