The Tigers filled a good portion of their offseason wish list with a busy few days at last month's Winter Meetings. Now that the holiday season is over, their list still isn't quite filled, but they have some work to do with a good number of players already on their roster.

Looks like it could be a busy January. And as the Hot Stove heats up following the holidays, the next week or so could be particularly important.

With baseball heading into the back half of the Hot Stove season, the back end of the pitching staff remains a question mark, not just at closer but in the innings before the ninth. Fernando Rodney is returning, whether at closer or another role, and Bobby Seay will be one of two likely left-handed specialists. After that, it's difficult to pin any name as a certainty for any of the other five spots in the relief corps.

Realistically, the bullpen as a whole probably won't take shape until the Tigers head north at the end of Spring Training. Determining a closer, however, would be a big step, whether it's an offseason addition or a Rodney return. With the free-agent closer market depleated and several teams still looking, however, the shopping season is wrapping up.

Free agents include Trevor Hoffman, Takashi Saito, Jason Isringhausen and Brandon Lyon -- all with proven talent, all looking to rebound. Michigan-born John Smoltz is another, but his preference has been to remain a starting pitcher. The Tigers have shown past interest in Hoffman, baseball's all-time saves leader, but Jeffrey Moorad's newly announced attempt to buy the Padres could conceivably change the prospects of a Hoffman return to San Diego after a less-than-amicable split from current owner John Moores.

Detroit has had talks regarding Isringhausen, according to an industry source, but so have other teams still looking for closers, leaving a half-dozen clubs in the running for the former Cardinals reliever's services. Isringhausen, meanwhile, has been working out as normal for the past month after being cleared by doctors following September elbow surgery.

The Tigers have had talks on Lyon, but not in recent days. The former Arizona pitcher, too, has drawn interest from the closer-needy teams, but other clubs have stepped into the mix for Lyon as a possible setup man. Whatever his role, he's expected to draw a multiyear contract.

Detroit could also scour the trade market, where rumored options at various times this offseason have included Houston's Jose Valverde, Baltimore's George Sherrill, Pittsburgh's Matt Capps and new Colorado Rockies reliever Huston Street. Asking prices on all of them have been high, though, and the Tigers have fewer prospects to deal after trading right-hander Guillermo Moscoso and outfielder Matt Joyce last month.

The next couple weeks should also tell whether the Tigers make a move to bolster their lefty relief corps. Though Detroit has been linked to veteran free-agent southpaw Joe Beimel for much of the offseason, those talks seemingly quieted around the holidays. They could pick up with the new year having arrived and the vast majority of free-agent lefties still on the market.

The market in general is expected to take better shape this coming week with teams returning from the holiday. But with Monday also starting the arbitration filing period, the Tigers will have another priority on their hands as they try to grapple with the financial implications of a maturing roster with a half-dozen players up for arbitration.

That list includes Detroit's staff ace and pitching cornerstone, Justin Verlander, who's in line for a big raise after winning 46 games over the last three years and topping the 200-innings mark in each of the last two. With salaries for top free-agent starters still on the rise despite the economy, the Tigers must decide whether their payroll situation will allow them to sign Verlander long-term now or force them to wait. They could also agree on a one-year deal now and negotiate a longer deal in Spring Training.

Rodney is another looming arbitration case after he spent the final two months last season as Detroit's closer, racking up 13 saves in the process. So is Marcus Thames, whose 25 home runs last year trailed only Miguel Cabrera on the club despite just 342 plate appearances. New Tigers starter Edwin Jackson, coming off 14 wins for the American League champion Rays last season, is also eligible. Joel Zumaya could be an intriguing case after two injury-shortened campaigns following his breakout 2006 season. Seay, a Scott Boras client, rounds out the Detroit arbitration list.

The Tigers have not gone to arbitration with a player since Dave Dombrowski took over general manager duties in 2002, in no small part through the work of vice president/legal counsel John Westhoff.

The new year also brings fans the chance to see many of their favorite players in person for the first time since the season ended. TigerFest, the team's annual offseason celebration, returns to Comerica Park on Saturday, Jan. 24, with a list of participating players due out shortly. The Winter Caravan is also back, taking players and coaches around the state and region. Dates and stops have yet to be released.

From there, it's just a few days until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training on Feb. 14, with the full squad gathering Feb. 17 in advance of their spring opener Feb. 25 against Atlanta. The Tigers will get a good idea just how many players will be leaving camp for the World Baseball Classic when preliminary rosters come out in mid-January.