Octavio Dotel, the Tigers and the Winter Meetings

As the 2011 Winter Meetings came to a close the Detroit Tigers hadn't made the big splash that fans had come to expect, but several deals are in the works. Most notably for reliever Octavio Dotel and outfielder Yoenis Cespedes.

Cespedes hasn't yet been posted on the free agent market, but the Tigers are seen to be the most aggressive and leading candidate to secure his services. Coming out of the final day of the Winter Meetings on Wednesday the buzz surrounding the Tigers was about a reliever, Octavio Dotel.

Detroit had headed to Texas with the intention of adding a few small pieces to their bullpen and to search for a potential fifth starter. It appears as though Dotel will be the extent of the Tigers haul this winter, which is perfectly fine with the Tigers brass and fans alike.

As of Wednesday night the Tigers were seen to have Dotel in the bag, although reports had him enamored with the St. Louis Cardinals. As the night progressed Dotel and the Tigers appeared to grow closer and according to reports were only negotiating contract length.

Rumors surrounding the Tigers and Dotel have the contract being between four and five million dollars for one year with a vesting option for a second. The addition of Dotel to the Detroit bullpen creates a formidable beast out beyond the left-field fence. With the new addition the Tigers appear to have their seventh, eighth and ninth innings sewn up with Joaquin Benoit, Octavio Dotel and Jose Valverde.

Bullpen battle brewing

Should the ink finally dry on the Dotel deal it would create a battle out in the bullpen during Spring Training between Ryan Perry and David Pauley for the final roster spot. Seeing as how Manager Jim Leyland was hesitant to use Pauley after his acquisition last season it would seem as though he would have to truly outplay Perry to make the 40-man roster in May.

Addition by subtraction

While the Tigers may not have come away from the Winter Meetings with the usual haul of players fans have become used to, it's not to say that the past week hasn't been beneficial for Detroit. During the meetings White Sox General Manager Kenny Wilson all but conceded that his club is entering a rebuilding phase with the trading of closer Sergio Santos and the fact that most of the White Sox high impact players have been placed on the trading block.

Former White Sox left-handed starter Mark Buehrle further helped the Tigers by signing a four-year, $58 million deal with the Miami Marlins. While his transition from the American League to the National League may be rocky, the Tigers can rest easy knowing that an elite left-hander will no longer be in their division.

Over the Winter Meetings the Minnesota Twins also pitched in to aid the Tigers by trading right-handed pitcher Kevin Slowey to the Colorado Rockies for a player-to-be-named-later. Once again, the Tigers will benefit from the removal of an excellent pitcher from their division.

So while the Winter Meetings may not seem like a success on the surface, the Tigers come out as the clear winners in the American League Central so far this off-season.