Jose Iglesias expected to miss most of 2014 season, Tigers likely to pursue Stephen Drew

Detroit Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias is expected to miss most of the 2014 season with a shin injury, according to ESPN.com's Jim Bowden. With Iglesias out for an extended period of time, it would make sense for the Tigers to make a strong run at free agent shortstop Stephen Drew.

Iglesias, who was acquired from the Red Sox as part of a three-team blockbuster at last year's trade deadline, was slated to be the team's starting shortstop after Jhonny Peralta signed a four-year, $53MM deal with the Cardinals over the winter. He has been dealing with persistent shin issues for most of spring training, and now seems likely to miss a large portion of the season.

Drew, who has seen his market shrivel up this winter after he declined a qualifying offer from the Red Sox in November, has also been linked to the Yankees and Mets while expressing a willingness to sign after the June draft if the situation presented itself. While no deal with the Tigers appears to be close at this time, the two would seem to be a perfect match if Iglesias does have a serious injury.

While news of Iglesias' injury did not break until late this afternoon, the great Peter Gammons hinted towards a Tigers-Drew match earlier in the day:

I would not bet against rumor sending Stephen Drew to Tigers

— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) March 15, 2014