Tigers hope Huff boosts offense

DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers head into the pennant drive having shored up their three greatest areas of need. Baltimore Orioles first baseman Aubrey Huff, the last link in the improvement game, was added Monday afternoon in a trade for minor league relief pitcher Brett Jacobson. Left-handed pitcher Jarrod Washburn, acquired July 31 from the Seattle Mariners, improved the front end of the rotation. And rookie catcher Alex Avila, batting .471 with six extra-base hits and six RBIs in six games since being recalled from the minors, nicely fills the bill as a second catcher. "We're doing what we can to win," Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said. Huff has 72 RBIs this season -- more than Detroit leaders Miguel Cabrera (70) and Brandon Inge (65). Huff led the American League with 82 extra-base hits in 2008. "He can swing the bat well and drive in runs," Dombrowski said. "He's a guy we tried to acquire numerous times. He's a left-handed bat who is a threat. Those are hard to find." Dombrowski said Huff, 32, passed through waivers while other hitters discussed in trades did not. That is required of deals made after July 31. Huff is batting .253 with 13 homers this season, and is hitting .284 with 201 homers and 739 RBIs in 10 years with the Tampa Bay Rays, Houston Astros and Orioles. His big years were 2008 in Baltimore (.304, 32 homers, 108 RBIs) and 2003 in Tampa Bay (.311, 34, 107). Tigers manager Jim Leyland, reached after a round of off-day golf with his coaching staff, said he would sit down with his coaches and discuss how Huff will be used. "That's a pretty good left-handed hitter," Leyland said, "and he's a pretty good second-half hitter." Huff has batted .299 in the second halves of seasons, and .271 in first halves. A corresponding roster move has already been decided upon, but will not be announced until today. Dombrowski said, "Magglio (Ordonez) will be with us tomorrow." Ordonez, whose plate appearance qualifications for his $18 million contract for 2010 nearly are vested, has improved considerably in offensive production in recent weeks. A more likely candidate to leave is outfielder Clete Thomas, who is 2-for-25 since Aug. 8. Dombrowski said Huff's addition does not mean Inge is headed to the disabled list with his ailing knees, although, he can spell both Inge and first baseman Cabrera. It should be fun when he walks into the clubhouse today and meets Inge. Huff playfully lifted some dirt into Inge's face as he rounded first base after hitting a homer against the Orioles this month at Comerica Park. Dombrowski said the Tigers will want to get Huff and switch-hitter Carlos Guillen in the lineup as much as possible. He said even though Huff has not played much left field since 2006, scouts noted he can play there. Guillen and Huff (6-foot-4, 235 pounds) could end up seeing the majority of their playing time at designated hitter or in left. Guillen's right shoulder is better, but he still can't play in the field. They likely will occupy the Nos. 3 and 5 spots in the batting order in most games. "Run production plays into (the trade) quite a bit," Dombrowski said. "We think he's a guy who can drive in runs." Huff is hitting .324 with runners in scoring position this season and .276 in those situations in his career. He was acquired with hopes of jump-starting a struggling offense. Detroit is responsible for the remainder of his $8 million contract for 2009, and Huff becomes a free agent after this season. Jacobson was Detroit's fourth-round pick in 2008 out of Vanderbilt University. Dombrowski said relief pitching is an area of depth in the minor league system.