DETROIT -- Tigers president/general manager Dave Dombrowski could've been paging through the months on a calendar as he went down the list: February ... March ... April.

The question of a closer, he said, is coming up from others daily.

"Or hourly," Dombrowski added for emphasis.

His timetable, at least publicly, is broader as he runs down the months.

"We've got three months until Opening Day," Dombrowski said. "I'm confident we'll find someone to close."

Who it will be is another question.

If there's a proven closer left on the market, the Tigers have inquired and talked about him, including Jason Isringhausen, Brandon Lyon, Chad Cordero, Takashi Saito and Trevor Hoffman. At this point, though, nothing is close, and the club is preparing for a process that seems headed into at least next week.

Hoffman has drawn strong interest and competing offers in the National League from the Dodgers and Brewers, leaving the Tigers looking elsewhere, possibly hoping that a Hoffman signing spurs movement among the other free-agent relievers.

Isringhausen is weighing varying levels of interest from as many as a half-dozen teams. Lyon has drawn interest from several clubs as a setup man, opening up his market beyond the remaining teams on a closer search. Detroit's involvement in the increasing talks around Saito has been described as minimal.

Top free-agent closers, of course, have moved, but Dombrowski said going in that his club would not be in on the top-salaried closers in the first place. Michigan native John Smoltz, who became a potential wild card last month when he began listening to interest from other teams, including Detroit, was reportedly on the verge of a contract with the Red Sox Wednesday night.

For now, Dombrowski isn't ruling out different fallback scenarios, such as a closer-by-committee situation with incumbent Fernando Rodney. Dombrowski referenced the extra pitchers the Tigers have in the rotation competition, providing some sort of possibility to the notion of converting a starter -- though they've already been expecting to tap some of their extra starters for general relief help.

Whatever happens, however, the closer situation will apparently not be the same as it was at the end of last season, when Fernando Rodney held the job. Though Dombrowski and manager Jim Leyland talked during baseball's Winter Meetings last month about what Rodney and his fastball-changeup combination bring to the role, Leyland downplayed the possibility this week.

"I think Rodney, if I was going to assess him and give my own opinion, I think he has the potential to do it," Leyland said Monday night on the Tiger Talk program on flagship station WXYT-AM 1270 and tigers.com. "But from what I've seen in the past, he's probably a very good part-time closer.

"In other words, there's some nights when he takes unhittable stuff out there with good control. There are some other nights when the control is not good enough. So I would say he's a very good part-time closer, but probably not a real perfect closer at this particular time -- consistent enough, maybe, is the right term."

Rodney's inconsistent command was the primary reason behind his struggles last year, whether as a closer or in his previous setup work behind Todd Jones. That said, Leyland made a point to express some confidence in what Rodney could do for them.

"I'm looking forward to Rodney this year," Leyland said, "because, whether people believe this or not, Rodney's a free agent [next winter] and I think he's going to do everything he can. He knows this is a big year for him. So we should be able to get quite a bit out of Rodney this year. But to say that he's going to be our definite closer, I couldn't say that at this time."

When asked by hosts Dan Dickerson and Pat Caputo about the importance of having a set closer by the time Spring Training opens next month, Leyland expressed uncertainty.

"I don't know that that's going to happen," Leyland said. "I don't know that we can say that."

Dombrowski echoed that sentiment.

"I don't know that we'll do anything or not before we get to Spring Training," he said.

One possibility that could gain better shape as Spring Training draws closer is Cordero, who's progressing with unexpected speed from shoulder surgery last summer. The former Nationals closer will throw for teams starting this week. Rather than a formal audition, though, Cordero's representatives have invited interested teams -- such as the Tigers -- to watch his regular throwing sessions at a training facility near his home in Anaheim. The Tigers are expected to take part, as are reportedly the Diamondbacks, Brewers and Nationals.

Cordero is currently throwing from a distance off flat ground on a schedule that should put him on a mound in early February and throwing regular mound sessions when pitchers and catchers report to camps later in the month.

Isringhausen, too, is working back from surgery, having undergone repair work on his right elbow in September. He was cleared to begin a normal offseason throwing program in December, and is expected to be ready well in time for Opening Day.

One way or another, the Tigers will open the season with a closer.

"Somebody has to close the game," Dombrowski said, repeating a phrase he used during the Winter Meetings.