Detroit — Looking around at all the familiar faces at the Tiger Den inside Comerica Park Thursday morning. There was J.D. Martinez at one table, with Ian Kinsler to his left. Justin Upton was there, and later both Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander strolled in.
“It’s nice the band is back together,” Verlander said.
That didn’t seem likely back in October, when general manager Al Avila tried to brace both his players and fan base for the possibility that some popular, even iconic Tigers players could be traded this offseason.
But, due to several factors — the new collective bargaining agreement, more emphasis on clubs keeping top prospects, an unusually soft free agent class — no blockbuster, roster-changing trades were made.