Ryan Raburn.jpg

Cleveland Indians' Ryan Raburn, right, slaps hands with Mike Avilies after Raburn scored on an error by Minnesota Twins' first baseman Chris Colabello.

(AP File Photo)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Don't expect the Detroit Tigers to be in the mix for one of the top free agent hitters this winter. They've already purchased their big-ticket items.

But there remain a few other areas the Tigers continue to explore, including the possibility of adding a utility player, manager Brad Ausmus said Tuesday.

Ausmus declined to identify potential targets this offseason during the club's daily meeting with reporters at the Gaylord Opryland hotel. But he did confirm the club would likely target a right-handed batter who can play some left field.

"There's not a ton of those guys out there," Ausmus said. "It's not like you can go to K-Mart and pick up a right-handed utility player off the shelf. There's just not."

Some possible free-agent options the Tigers could consider are Steve Pearce, Sean Rodriguez and former Tigers outfielder Ryan Raburn.

"We know that with a lead, if a right-handed utility player is playing left field with a lead, we know we have an outfielder we can stick there if we need to defend for him," Ausmus said. "He probably doesn't have to be strong in the outfield, but isn't a liability in the outfield. Left field at Comerica Park isn't small."

Ausmus also said the Tigers have no intention of replacing utility infielder Andrew Romine, who was tendered a contract last week. In other words, if Detroit was to add another utility player, it would be in addition to Romine, Ausmus said.

"The truth is we can't mold our own player," Ausmus said. "There's only so many of those guys out there -- to the point where we might not even get that guy."

Tigers GM Al Avila said Monday he was pursuing -- either through a trade or free agency -- another bat. But he said Tuesday that the club was not "close to anything."

"The perfect combination would be maybe a guy who could play a little infield and a little outfield, somebody that gives us that combination and maybe give us some offense," Avila said. "And that's a hard combination to get."

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