Tigers GM expects Alex Avila to sign with another club
Al Avila doesn't expect to re-sign his son, Alex, to the Detroit Tigers next season.
"I don't really see it as a priority," the Tigers GM told reporters when asked about signing Alex Avila. "Right now, (James) McCann is our starting catcher and (Bryan) Holaday is coming back but is out of options. Basically, Holaday has to be our backup catcher or he's out of options."
Alex, a one-time All-Star backstop, struggled to a .191/.339/.287 hitting line with a career-low four home runs and 13 RBIs amidst a season full of injuries to his knee, back, and forearm, which limited him to 67 games.
"He will probably get something out there that might be more beneficial to him," Al said. "But if you really look at most major-league clubs that have a right-handed hitting catcher, they're all looking for a left-handed hitting catcher, and that is a hard thing to find, probably not the hardest, but one of the more difficult things to find in baseball."
Alex has been a member of the Tigers for his entire career after being drafted by the club in the fifth round of the 2008 draft.