AL Central Notes: Martinez drawing interest, Tigers considering McCutchen

Despite the fact there are several free agent hitters that can serve as designated hitters, Tigers DH Victor Martinez is drawing interest in trade talks, according to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe.

The Tigers seem to be open to trading veteran pieces in exchange for depth, so the idea of moving Martinez might be intriguing. He had a solid 2016 season with the Tigers, batting .289/.351/.476 with 27 home runs and 86 RBIs over 154 games.

Though he is playing on a four-year, $68 million deal, Martinez might be one of the more inexpensive options for teams seeking offensive depth to continue. He won’t be a free agent until 2019 and has proven to be a reliable right-handed bat.

More from around the American League Central:

• There is a chance baseball rosters expand to 26 players in the near future, and for the Indians, that could mean carrying an extra reliever.

• The Royals might not be in the best of positions if they don’t do much this offseason.

• Atlanta seems to be interested in Chris Sale, who the White Sox could move this winter.

• The Twins revealed how highly they regard pitch framing by signing Jason Castro.

• Pittsburgh might be ready to move on from Andrew McCutchen, and if that’s the case, the Tigers could be interested.