LAKELAND, Fla. -- The Tigers could have been in the midst of a rebuild rather than readying for one more run at a postseason spot.
If general manager Al Avila had received trade proposals that included the promising talent he wanted to collect to make his team leaner and younger, this might be a much different team. J.D. Martinez might be a Met. Ian Kinsler might have been a Dodger if not for his no-trade rights.
With interest tempered and offers few, the Tigers postponed their youth movement. They did not altogether cancel it.