Tigers don't close door on re-signing Gerald Laird

Though he is not expected to play a significant role on the team next season, backup catcher Gerald Laird could still be a free-agent option for general manager Dave Dombrowksi and the Tigers according to Chris Iott of MLive.com.

The 32-year-old Laird suited up for 63 games this season for Jim Leyland's American League pennant-winning squad, posting the second-highest batting average of his nine-year career (.282). Primarily viewed as a defensive catcher with limited power from the plate, Laird's role in Detroit figures to diminish in 2013 with the return of utility catcher Victor Martinez from his season-ending knee injury.

"I know he's looking for a little more playing time, a little more finances," Dombrowski told Jennifer Hammond of FOX 2 Detroit. "That's not gonna come from us."

If Laird happens to catch on with another team instead, the Tigers are fully content rolling with 24-year-old Bryan Holaday as their primary backup catcher in 2013. Holaday hit .250 over a brief six-game stint with Detroit in September to get his feet wet, but is coming off a season where he batted just .240 over 75 games for Triple-A Toledo.