Big-hitting second baseman fits club's offensive needs
By Jason Beck / MLB.com
Jeff Kent led all Major League second basemen with 107 RBIs in 2004. (Pat Sullivan/AP)
DETROIT -- Tigers president/general Dave Dombrowski confirmed reports he met with free agent slugger Jeff Kent and his agent here Monday, adding a new wrinkle to the Tigers offseason chase for a bat.
Kent and agent Jeff Klein met with Tigers officials to discuss the club's interest. While no deal seems to be imminent, the fact that Kent came to Detroit for a meeting is considered a significant sign.
Kent, who has an offer on the table from the Houston Astros, led all Major League second basemen and topped the Astros with 107 RBIs this season. He has driven in 100 or more runs in seven of the last eight years.
Kent's 27 homers in 2004 were the second most of any second baseman in baseball, trailing only Alfonso Soriano (28) of Texas.
Kent has been Houston's starting second baseman since signing a three-year contract with the Astros on Dec. 18, 2002. But the Astros declined to pick up the $9 million option for the final year of the 36-year-old's contract, choosing instead to pay Kent the $700,000 buyout before attempting to re-sign him for a lesser amount.
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