Tigers didn't pursue Stephen Drew, according to Dave Dombrowski

Although his team was rumored to be interested in acquiring shortstop Stephen Drew this offseason, Detroit Tigers' general manager Dave Dombrowski told Jason Beck of MLB.com that he never actually pursued the young infielder.

Dombrowski also confirmed that his organization is fully confident in starter Jhonny Peralta going forward, dispelling the notion that Peralta could possibly be traded away for a defensive upgrade this winter. Even though the veteran general manager was reported to be in discussions with the Arizona Diamondbacks about Peralta earlier in the signing period, the Tigers ultimately did not have the room to sign a high-profile target like Drew and still sign the duo of Anibal Sanchez and Torii Hunter.

Considered the most well-rounded shortstop available in this year's free agent pool, the 29-year-old Drew has been a consistent source of both power and average since entering the league as a first-round pick back in the 2004 MLB Entry Draft. He produced 1.8 offensive wins above replacement with an elite 1.6 defensive WAR during his remarkable 2006 campaign with the Diamondbacks, but has not been the same player since due to injuries. With Boston shelling out $9.5 million to land Drew just for one season on Tuesday, it's hard to imagine Dombrowski being able to keep his starting pitching staff intact and also upgrade his outfield spots after first signing Drew to a lucrative deal.