At Fox Sports, former Freep beat writer Jon Paul Morosi reported last night (you'll need to scroll down) the Tigers are still the team with the most interest in the left hand hitting lead off man:
A number of people in the industry have said in recent days that they expect Damon to sign with the Tigers, Braves or Rays. But if his asking price drops, other teams could enter the market.
It didn’t appear that a deal for Damon was imminent as of Tuesday evening. The Tigers probably have the greatest interest — and greatest need — but club president/general manager Dave Dombrowski hasn’t spoken publicly about Damon.
At this point, it had become a game of chicken between Damon's agent, Scott Boras, and 2 teams, the Tigers and Braves, with the Rays hoping to swoop in if talks falter. Who was going to break first?
Dave Dombrowski is still holding fast on the Tigers' wallet. But this afternoon, Braves GM Frank Wren may have broke.
The Braves are believed to have discussed a one-year offer with Damon, who is vacationing in Hawaii, according to a source. The club has not confirmed making an offer. While the financial terms weren't disclosed, this source indicated that a portion of the salary would be deferred.
Jeff Schultz of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is calling the offer "significant."
Wren has taken a significant step toward improving the Braves’ roster, just nine days before the start of spring training. The general manager has made a pretty significant offer to free agent Johnny Damon...
Despite the rumored 1 year offer from the Braves, Boras and Damon remain adamant they want a 2 year contract.
So where does this leave the Tigers?
About an hour ago, Morosi posted the following on Twitter:
Tigers could use another infielder but are devoted to the pursuit of Damon, first and foremost, a source says.
The Braves have fired the first salvo in the "battle" for Johnny Damon. We've yet to hear how the Tigers respond...if they bother to respond at all.