Report: Tigers eyeing catcher, have had preliminary talks with Astros

The Detroit Tigers could look to bolster their depth behind the plate this offseason, and the club has reportedly had preliminary trade talks with the Houston Astros about their surplus of catchers, according to Jon Morosi of FOX Sports.

Tigers catchers - primarily Alex Avila and Bryan Holaday - combined for just 1.8 WAR while hitting .222/.309/.335 with 11 home runs in 2014, producing less value than all but five American League teams. Avila, who started 116 games for the Tigers, posted a meager 91 OPS+ with a 33 percent strikeout rate. The club may be interested in relegating him to a backup role next season.

The Astros, however, recently acquired Hank Conger from the Los Angeles Angels and currently boast three catchers with major-league experience on their 40-man roster.

Jason Castro regressed in 2014 after earning his first career All-Star berth in 2013, managing a .651 OPS and 1.2 WAR over 126 games. Neither Conger nor Carlos Corporan profile as everyday options, but both could serve as useful backups should the Tigers opt to stick with Avila as their primary catcher.