The Detroit Tigers might see a lot of Ryan Raburn this season. But he will have to earn a major-league roster spot first.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported Saturday evening

and will be invited to spring training to compete for a spot on the major-league club.

Raburn had an up-and-down career and an awful 2012 season with the Tigers,

. Raburn was eligible for arbitration, but the Tigers decided to cut him loose instead.

That was not a surprise after the 2012 season Raburn had. He was named the team's starting second baseman during spring training and got off to a great start in Grapefruit League play before struggling as the regular season approached. He then hit .171 with one home run and 12 RBIs in 66 games for the Tigers, who eventually traded for Omar Infante to play second base.

Raburn clearly has the potential to make an impact at the major-league level. He is a notoriously slow starter, but he has hit .295 with an .834 OPS after the All-Star break during his seven-year career.

The Indians currently have five outfielders on their 40-man roster, including Nick Swisher, who was recently signed as a free agent. But Raburn has a shot at earning a job with the Indians, who traded outfielder Shin-Soo Choo earlier in the offseason.

Ironically, the Tigers continue to seek exactly what Raburn was when he was at his best: a right-handed hitting outfielder with some zip in his bat to play part-time in the outfield. After giving Raburn several opportunities to fill the role last season, the Tigers traded for Jeff Baker. Then, when Baker failed, the Tigers turned to rookie Avisail Garcia.

Raburn hit .256 with 54 home runs, 216 RBIs and a .740 OPS in 566 games in seven seasons with the Tigers.

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