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Tigers manager Brad Ausmus on team's offseason: "Definitely not a fire sale"

Posted at 8:09 PM, Dec 07, 2016
and last updated 2016-12-08 11:11:07-05

What the Tigers do with their roster this offseason remains one of baseball's most intriguing questions.

Wednesday at the Winter Meetings, Brad Ausmus gave a look behind the curtain.

"It's definitely not a fire sale," the Tigers manager said.

Ausmus joined MLB Network's 'Intentional Talk' to discuss his thoughts on the potential moves Al Avila has discussed.

"They're trying to trim a little bit of fat in terms of payroll, but they're not just giving away players to get rid of money. That's not the case," he said.

Throughout the offseason, Avila has talked about the need to be more financially responsible. The Tigers have a lot of big contracts with long terms, and the Tigers GM said he's been open to listening to offers.

Naturally, questions about Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera surfaced, as well as reports about JD Martinez and Ian Kinsler being discussed.

"We've had a lot of discussions. We haven't had a lot of action, obviously," Ausmus told MLBN. " We're just getting to the end of the Winter Meetings, but we're still pretty early in the offseason. A lot can happen."

Ausmus pointed out how close the Tigers were to making the playoffs this past season, and how he believed injuries derailed their season.

"I don't think it's going to be a drastically different team, quite frankly. I'd be shocked if Miggy went anywhere. I'd be really surprised if Justin Verlander went anywhere. It could happen, but I'd be really shocked."