Avila makes final home start as a Tiger?

It meant a lot to Alex Avila that manager Brad Ausmus asked him whether he wanted to catch Sunday in what could be his final game as a Tiger at Comerica Park.

Alex Avila, 28, will be a free agent after the season. It’s unclear whether the Tigers will want to bring him back, in part because he lost his starting job to rookie James McCann, in part because he made $5.4 million, in part because of another lousy offensive season and in part because of knee trouble this season and concussion issues for several years.

Avila came into Sunday’s game batting .190 with four home runs and 13 RBIs. He received a solid ovation from fans when he came to bat in the second inning. He stroked a double to centerfield — only his ninth extra-base hit of the season. He flied out in the fourth and grounded out in the seventh before walking in the ninth. In 211 plate appearances, he has more walks (39) than hits (33).

“It’s a little bittersweet,” Alex Avila said of the possibility of playing his last home game as a Tiger. “In one aspect, it’s a little sad that this could be my last game here as a Tiger. At the same time, it’s exciting going into the off-season. If I end up with somebody else, it will be a new opportunity, a new adventure.”

Alex Avila said he had approached Ausmus recently with a request to catch Justin Verlander’s last start of the season.

Avila said Ausmus asked him Saturday about catching Sunday.

“I told him, it’s up to you, you’re the manager,” Avila said.

Why does he want to catch Verlander’s last start?

“Just the history that we both have as teammates,” Avila said. “The success we’ve both been able to have here, not only individually but as a team.

“Tigers is all I know. For me, it’s been probably six of the best years of my life. Memories I have here I’ll never forget.”

The Tigers drafted Avila in the fifth round out of Alabama in 2008. He made his big-league debut in August 2009 and became the full-time catcher during the following season. He made the All-Star team in 2011, when he hit .295 with 19 homers, 82 RBIs and 73 walks.

Ausmus said that even if Avila ended up playing elsewhere next season, maybe he could come back in the future. Ausmus knows from experience because he had two stints with the Tigers as a player.

Ausmus also said was not difficult that Alex Avila was the son of the general manager, Al Avila.

“I’m going to say what I really think about the player,” Ausmus said. “I made it clear I really like Alex Avila. But if I have something to say, positive or negative, about Alex Avila as a catcher that’s going to get said. Again, it’s about winning and performance. I’m not going to hold back because Alex is the son of Al.”

Avila will have a lot to weigh in the next month. Playing time will be a big factor, because he said he still could handle starting on a daily basis.

“I would love to be back here for sure,” Avila said. “But at the same time, that’s maybe a decision that will kind of partly be mine, but at the same time not.... A player wants to play baseball.”

Despite numerous injuries, Avila said hed given no consideration to retirement.

Even though his father is now running the Tigers, Avila said he still could go to him for advice as a father.

“The one thing about me and my dad — and this has been our entire lives — it’s not like this is something new or difficult for us,” Alex Avila said. “It isn’t. We’ve always been able to know where that line is. He’s my father and then where is that line where he is also my boss.”

The line might be a little different, the son admitted, for his mother.

“She’s probably a little more ‘that’s my little boy’ with him,” he said.

Does he have a favorite memory as a Tiger?

“I wouldn’t say I have a favorite,” Avila said. “I think being part of four straight years (winning the AL Central), that’s never been done in this organization. That’s over 100 years.

“Getting the chance to catch as much as I have in the playoffs …has been pretty amazing. The Cy Young Award winners I’ve caught. Playing with MVPs. Playing with Miguel (Cabrera). Obviously, the All-Star Game and winning a Silver Slugger was pretty amazing. There’s so many things, and it’s not even those accomplishments. Coming in here and have had relationships for my entire career with some of the same guys. Those are the things you miss, coming in, joking around with guys.”

Contact George Sipple: gsipple@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @georgesipple.