Tigers rumors: Closer search ramped up

Seemingly unwilling to wait out the early-spring struggles of Bruce Rondon, the Detroit Tigers have stepped up their hunt for a closer, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The club reportedly has an "All Points Bulletin" out, meaning that the Tigers are searching far and wide to find a Proven Closer™.

In terms of potential trade partners, thus far the Tigers have been tied to the Nationals, Braves, and Red Sox, though whether the club has actually been in contact with Boston in regards to Andrew Bailey remains in question, per Heyman. Outfielder Brennan Boesch and Rick Porcello are potential trade chips if the Tigers do want to work out a trade.

Manager Jim Leyland even went so far as to suggest that Porcello might be a closer option, according to Jason Beck of MLB.com, but also added that the move would be "highly unlikely." Bringing Jose Valverde back to Detroit is an option as well, though it's not thought to have been discussed at this point.

For his part, GM Dave Dombrowski seemed pretty calm and unconcerned when discussing the situation to Lynn Henning of the Detroit News:

"Let's see how [Rondon] does," Dombrowski said during a conversation in his office overlooking Marchant Stadium. "I realize it (the closer issue) will get a lot of attention. But the reality is, it (camp) still has a long haul to go...

"This is not anything that we didn't anticipate."

Dombrowski also expressed that the club has several in-house options who are able to take on ninth-inning duties should Rondon falter, including Al Alburquerque, Joaquin Benoit, Phil Coke, Octavio Dotel, and Brayan Villarreal.