March 9, 2011; Lakeland, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Placido Polanco (27) before a spring training exhibition game against the Detroit Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The Tigers have options to accomplish this without having to limit themselves to available outfielders. In fact, the answer could come in the form of a familiar face.

Placido Polanco.

It’s an outside the box idea that just might work.

The first issue to deal with is the fact that Placido Polanco is not an outfielder and no, I won’t suggest the Tigers try him in left field. He could take his spot so familiar to Tigers fans, second base, with Omar Infante taking Dirks’ spot in left field. Unconventional? Maybe. Unrealistic? I don’t think so.

Infante has seen action in the outfield in six of his 12 seasons in the major leagues, including all three of his season with the Atlanta Braves where he was an All Star in 2010. Perhaps it would be more moving parts on defense than the Tigers would like but there will be some give and take with any option the Tigers will look into if they truly want to use a left field platoon.

Would Polanco accept such a role? That’s hard to say but it seems to fit where his career is at this point. The Phillies declined their portion of the $5.5 million mutual option, paying a $1 million buyout instead. The market for Polanco has been soft, save for some rumblings about the Marlins showing at least a little bit of interest. If you’re Polanco, doesn’t a platoon role with a contender in a familiar place look more attractive than the Marlins? It should, especially considering back issues limited his play last year and led to two trips to the disabled list. The platoon role could be just what Polanco needs to stay healthy through what will clearly be one of the twilight years of his career.

The Tigers might want a platoon partner for Andy Dirks but they don’t necessarily need one. There isn’t any reason to spend big dollars or commit to a player beyond the 2013 season to fill this item on the want list. If Polanco’s back issues can be kept in check and he’s willing to take on a limited role, he could be a great option. Over his last three seasons, Polanco has put up an OPS just above .700 against left handed pitchers. That isn’t anything special, it’s actually a tad below average, but Polanco’s bat could be useful in 40-50 games against left handed pitchers and as a pinch hitter that can help turn over the lineup to get the big boys to the plate.

The new logo comes in a few different forms. I will call them the Mr. Smee, the Captain Hook and the flag. Anyone that has seen Peter Pan will understand what I mean. Take a look:

Photo from @erie_seawolves on Twitter

Naturally, the uniforms get an update too:

Photo from @erie_seawolves on Twitter

I think the update is a huge improvement and may put me in the market for an Erie SeaWolves hat this offseason. What do you think?

Oct 11, 2011; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Joel Zumaya delivers the game ball to the pitcher

Joel Zumaya quickly became a fan favorite after making the team in 2006. However, the repeated arm injuries necessitated the Tigers moving on as Zumaya just couldn’t be counted on as an important member of the bullpen. As a result, the Tigers weren’t in a position to offer him a Major League deal like the one he wound up getting from the Minnesota Twins.

It turns out that Joel Zumaya has been in town for some fishing. The Detroit Free Press caught up with him about his love for the outdoors and managed to coax a little baseball talk out of him. The takeaway? Joel Zumaya isn’t done with baseball and he seems intent on returning to the Tigers:

I was born to be a Tiger. I’ve been talking to them. I could end up back here.

Would it happen? Should it happen?

He’s coming off Tommy John surgery on top of his already extensive injury history. However, there is no risk in signing him to a minor league deal. It’s unlikely any team would be willing to offer anything more than that.

The Tigers figure to let Jose Valverde leave as a free agent this offseason so there will be a re-working of the back-end of the Tigers bullpen. Why not add a wild card like Zumaya to the equation with no risk? He won’t be a candidate to close and he may not even be ready to contribute right away. But it’s possible he could contribute at some point in 2013. With no risk involved, it’s worth taking a shot.