Tigers aim to go ‘leaner, younger’ at Meetings

DETROIT — The Tigers have typically gone to baseball’s Winter Meetings with a specific shopping list of positions and areas to add. As general manager Al Avila and his assistants prepare to venture to the nation’s capital for next week’s gathering, the Tigers instead have a list of players that teams can pursue.

With a mission to pare down payroll and make their roster younger, the list of potential pieces is long.

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“Last year, I said we would like to get two starting pitchers, we want to beef up our bullpen, we need to blah blah blah, the plan of action where these are our needs and we’re going to go after them,” Avila said at the start of the offseason. “Well, this year is going to be different.

“This year we’re going to go out and talk to 29 other clubs and see how we can start, little by little, making this team leaner, younger, more efficient, and at the same time, staying competitive, trying to get to the playoffs. That’s where the tightrope is that we’re walking on.”

MLB.com and MLB Network will have wall-to-wall coverage of the 2016 Winter Meetings from the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center outside Washington, D.C. Fans can watch live streaming of all news conferences and manager availability on MLB.com, including the Rule 5 Draft on Dec. 8 at 9 a.m. ET.

Club needs

Prospects: The Tigers’ farm system is better than it was a couple years ago, and there’s far more talent age 25 or younger on the big league roster. Still, Detroit needs more — not just at specific spots, but more young talent in general — to weather the coming years as its veteran stars age and payroll pressures intensify.

Center field: Last month’s Cameron Maybin trade created a void in center that club officials aren’t quite sure how to fill. JaCoby Jones is their center fielder of the future, but the Tigers would like to give him more time at Triple-A Toledo taking over at Comerica Park. Anthony Gose is still in the organization, but has fences to mend between his performance and behavior last year. The Tigers would like at least a placeholder for center, though Jones’ versatility allows them to put him at another position if they find a longer-term option.

Pitching: American League Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer, Daniel Norris and Matt Boyd give the Tigers a trio of young starters to serve as the foundation for a rotation, but there’s next to nothing between that and the mid-Minors, which could become a particular problem if Justin Verlander is traded. Add in a determination to build a bullpen from within, and Detroit needs arms. Expect any major trade to focus on that.

Backup catcher: Jarrod Saltalamacchia is gone, and the Tigers would like a veteran to support James McCann, especially in tough …

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