The Detroit Tigers' baffling, month-long interest in left-handed reliever Joe Beimel appears to have ended, according to ESPN.com's Rumor Central.

The Detroit Tigers recently looked like the frontrunners to sign Beimel, one of the top lefty relievers remaining on the free agent market. But agent Joe Sroba told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that he's now "focusing elsewhere" after the Tigers declined to make Beimel an offer at the winter meetings.

Detroit was one of the "more than 10 clubs" who have expressed interest in Beimel this offseason, but perhaps got distracted by their pursuit of Kerry Wood and J.J. Putz in Las Vegas.  Since the winter meetings, however, that interest apparently hasn't been rekindled.  (Meanwhile, a few of those other teams have signed other lefty relievers.)

Either the Tigers realized they don't really need Beimel because they already have left-handed relievers, figured out he's actually not that good (despite the impressive-looking 2.02 ERA), or decided they need to concentrate their resources elsewhere now that they've lost out on a top-shelf closer.

So how about finally ending this charade and making Juan Cruz an offer, Mr. Dombrowski?

(via MLB Trade Rumors)