Can Tigers' GM Dave Dombrowski really find a taker for Brad Thomas?

AP PhotoWith a bullpen stocked full of lefties, the Detroit Tigers are looking to trade Brad Thomas when he's activated from the disabled list.

The Detroit Tigers have too much of one thing on their roster right now: Left-handed relievers. And one more is set to rejoin the active roster soon, as Brad Thomas is close to the end of his rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo.

So Dave Dombrowski is doing what any smart general manager would do, seeing if he can use that surplus to help out another area of the team that might be lacking. According to FOXSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi, Dombrowski is checking around the league for any possible interest in Thomas.

At first glance, this doesn't look like an easy task. Before going on the disabled list with inflammation in his left elbow, Thomas walked six batters and allowed 17 hits in 11 innings of work and compiled a 9.00 ERA. Between those numbers and an aching elbow, Dombrowski hasn't exactly put prime beef on the trading block.

However, teams are often looking for left-handed specialists for their bullpens. And Thomas was good in that role last season, allowing opposing lefty batters a .252/.328/.304 average in 132 plate appearances. Dombrowski will presumably try to sell that, rather than the .400/.480/.550 average Thomas has allowed in 25 PAs against lefties this year.

According to Morosi, it's not yet known if any teams have expressed serious interest in Thomas. Possible suitors will likely wait until Thomas has proven he can once again get major league hitters out. The 2.00 ERA and 10 strikeouts in nine innings that Thomas has compiled during his rehab assignment looks impressive, but that came against Triple-A competition.

Which teams might need a lefty reliever? The Boston Red Sox could be one. The Houston Astros might be another. But from looking over the major league rosters, it looks like most clubs have that need covered. What Dombrowski will have to hope for is a team looking for a second lefty. Maybe one of the playoff contenders will find themselves at that point eventually.

The funny thing is that one of those teams will probably be the Tigers.

Several left-handed relievers far better than Thomas also figure to be on the market. And if Daniel Schlereth can't stop walking batters (or giving up grand slams), David Purcey isn't suited to a lefty specialist role, or Jim Leyland decides that Charlie Furbush is too inexperienced to handle that kind of responsibility, the Tigers will likely be among those teams looking to add one of those other left-handers.

But maybe we shouldn't discount Dombrowski's ability to convince another GM to take an unwanted player off his hands. Over the past two years, he's been able to unload Armando Galarraga, Dontrelle Willis and Nate Robertson onto other teams. (Should we include Scott Sizemore on that list, too?)

Two of those deals were made with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Perhaps Dombrowski can hit the D-Backs up one more time. Would they be interested in taking Schlereth back, too?

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Detroit Tigers recall pitcher Brad Thomas

AP File PhotoBrad ThomasDETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers recalled left-handed reliever Brad Thomas today from his injury-rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Toledo, but he remains on the disabled list as he deals with stiffness in his left elbow.

He will be checked out by the Tigers' medical staff, and is not expected to be activated.

Thomas struck out the side in a one-inning outing Monday for Toledo, but experienced soreness in his elbow Tuesday, Tigers manager Jim Leyland said.

Thomas went on the disabled list May 11 with inflammation in his left elbow. He had a 2.00 ERA in nine innings spanning six outings in his rehab stint with the Mud Hens, which began June 14.

Thomas struggled with the Tigers before his injury, going 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in 11 2/3 innings. He has walked six, struck out seven and opponents are batting .386 against him.

Perhaps most alarming for a pitcher often used as a situational lefty: He has allowed 10-of-12 inherited runners to score.

The move comes a day after Fox Sports reported the Tigers are shopping Thomas, although no likely suitors have emerged.

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All-Star Game voting set to close; will Tigers' Alex Avila pass Yankees' Russell Martin?

Alex AvilaDETROIT -- Voting for the All-Star Game ends Thursday, and Detroit Tigers catcher Alex Avila is closing in on the New York Yankees’ Russell Martin for the American League starter. As of Tuesday, Avila trailed by about 400,000 votes, the closest he has been all season.

Avila led all American League catchers with a .303 average and .373 on-base percentage entering play Wednesday. His 10 home runs were fourth.

Martin is batting .229, but benefits in the fan voting from playing in the New York market.

The winner will be announced Sunday.

The impetus for Avila’s push has come from an online campaign launched by teammate Justin Verlander and supported by Brad Penny. In particular, they have used the hashtag "#votevila" on Twitter to garner support for Avila — a name that now can be seen on signs and shirts throughout Comerica Park.

Has Avila been tracking his online support?

"I would if I knew how," Avila said.

The 24-year-old isn’t exactly skilled when it comes to technology.

"I don’t do Twitter and Facebook, and I’ve never been big into computers and things like that," Avila said. "In college, my friends would make fun of me because I had a computer and didn’t know how to turn it on.

"I’m better with texting, but my thumbs are too big."

How does he get his news, if he doesn’t use the Internet?

"Newspapers," Avila said.

He’s 24, right?

Boos for Raburn
Perhaps no Tigers player has drawn more fire this year than Ryan Raburn, the Tigers’ outfielder-turned-second baseman who is hitting .163 with 41 strikeouts in his past 41 games.

Raburn has been booed in recent weeks, but Leyland said he does not plan to sit him anytime soon.

"I thought he’d be out of (his slump) by now," Leyland said. "He’s shown signs of it, but then doesn’t do it.

"I put him in the lineup ... that’s about as much confidence as you can get from a manger, is you play him."

Poking fun
Leyland said when he got home from Monday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays, his college-bound daughter made him watch his tirade with her.

"She was laughing pretty good," he said, "and so was I. It doesn’t cost much to make a fool of yourself."

Leyland also was asked about the standing ovation he received as he left the field after being ejected for arguing an out/safe call.

"Maybe they just thought I was going to continue to keep on going," he said.

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