Tigers To Decline Pudge’s Option?

This one’s been going back and forth for months.  Just about a week ago, the buzz was strongly in favor of the Tigers picking up Ivan Rodriguez’s $13MM option for 2008.  One Detroit writer went as far as to suggest that the Tigers already privately agreed to pick it up.  You may recall that Pudge’s option comes with a hefty $3MM buyout price attached.

Now Danny Knobler of Michigan Live writes that the Tigers are prepared to decline the option.  They’d entertain a lesser one-year deal, but Rodriguez may not be interested.  Remember, he’s represented by Scott Boras.  Knobler indicates that the Mets would get involved if Rodriguez reached free agency.

I’m not sure what the Tigers have in mind here, as they don’t have internal options and the free agent market is weak.  Perhaps they’ll pursue Yorvit Torrealba, Ramon Castro, or Miguel Olivo.