The Tigers acquired Francisco Rodriguez after balking at the asking prices on other closers on the trade market. Avila has emphasized more than once that he's trying to hold onto as many young pitchers as he can for depth.
"We did explore the closer market out there -- [Craig] Kimbrel, [Aroldis] Chapman, [Mark] Melancon," Avila told MLB Network's Christopher Russo on his High Heat program Tuesday afternoon. "We checked in with Tampa, Seattle. We checked in with a lot of clubs. The thing is you have to realize what you're giving up.