Tigers Chasing After Ubaldo Jimenez

With their once-lengthy list of starting pitching targets shrinking, the Tigers are making another longshot run at top choice Ubaldo Jimenez.

The Tigers were considered to be basically out of the Ubaldo derby, because the Rockies valued other teams' prospects more highly.

But the Tigers are increasingly desperate to improve their rotation, fueling one more run at Jimenez, sources confirmed to CBSSports.com Friday morning.

It still seems unlikely that the Tigers could actually get Jimenez. According to one source with knowledge of the talks, a Tiger package would need to start with Jacob Turner and/or Rick Porcello. Turner is the Tigers' top prospect, and has been declared near-untouchable in trade talks. Porcello is their 22-year-old third starter, and while Jimenez would be an upgrade, the Tigers would still have a hole in their rotation.

Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski has been willing to move "untouchable" prospects in the past, if he likes the return enough. Both Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller were considered untouchable when Dombrowski put them together in a package for Miguel Cabrera at the winter meetings in 2007.

The Yankees and Red Sox are better positioned than the Tigers to get Jimenez, because of the value the Rockies put on their prospects. But it's possible that neither of the two American League East powers would budge on the players the Rockies covet, and perhaps that could put the Tigers in position to land Jimenez.

The Rockies continue to say that they won't trade Jimenez at all if they don't get the package they're looking for. The Indians, Reds, Rangers and Blue Jays have all been involved in Jimenez talks.

The Tigers remain interested in Hiroki Kuroda, and to some extent in Jeremy Guthrie and Aaron Harang. There was talk in baseball that they might go after Jason Marquis of the Nationals (one source suggested that the Nats like young Tiger reliever Ryan Perry), but that seems to be a lesser possibility at this point.

The Tigers also plan to have a scout watching Erik Bedard when he comes off the disabled list to start for the Mariners Friday night, but a move for Bedard is also considered unlikely.

The Tigers' renewed interest in Jimenez was first reported by Foxsports.com.