Tigers GM refused to trade Norris, Fulmer despite offers

Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila spent more than $265 million on free agents this winter, but when it came to potentially trading a pair of the organization's pitching prospects, the price was too high.

"We could have gone and tried to get one of the bigger-name bullpen guys but we really wanted to keep our young pitching intact," Avila told Christopher Russo of MLB Network. "It just seemed like every time we were trying to make a deal, the guys that they were asking for were (Michael) Fulmer and (Daniel) Norris. We couldn't part with those guys."

Fulmer and Norris were the key returns from a lost season. The Tigers traded Yoenis Cespedes at the non-waiver trade deadline for Fulmer and Luis Cessa, while Norris, Matt Boyd, and Jairo Labourt came from the Toronto Blue Jays the day before in exchange for David Price.

Avila expects Norris and Fulmer to compete for the fifth spot in the rotation this spring and projects both to have strong careers at the major-league level.

Norris, 22, went 2-1 with a 3.68 ERA across eight starts with Detroit last season, and underwent successful surgery in October to remove a malignant growth on his thyroid.

Fulmer went 4-1 with a 2.84 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings with Double-A Erie last season.