5/31 20:44: Steve Gilbert of MLB.com confirms the D-backs have interest in acquiring the veteran left-handed pitcher.

“We are at least considering him,” D-backs general manager Josh Byrnes said Monday

Gilbert has had discussions with Detroit regarding Willis. Because Willis was designated for assignment, the Tigers have 10 days to trade, release him or place the player on waivers with the hopes they can send him to the Minor Leagues. In Willis’ case he will unlikely accept an assignment to the Minors

5/31 16:53: Could the D-Train be headed back to the National League? According to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Daily Republic, he tweets, “Dbacks have interest in LHP Dontrelle Willis as a starter. Willis was designated for assignment by the Tigers over the weekend.”

Willis’ agent, Matt Sosnick, says that Arizona is “one of the places he would rather play.”  Sosnick added, “Out west in the National League would be his choice.” Sosnick said that Willis and his wife are buying a home in the Phoenix area – a process that started before Willis was designated for assignment.

Willis went 2-8 with a 6.86 ERA over the last three years with the Tigers, covering 24 games — 22 of them starts. He missed stretches over the previous two seasons to the disabled list — a knee injury in 2008, then what was termed as anxiety disorder last year — but at the root, his Tigers tenure came down to a seemingly endless battle with finding the strike zone consistently.

There has been talks within the organization regarding their starting pitching.  Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports over the weekend said that the Arizona Diamondbacks have internally discussed trading their ace, Dan Haren or their number two pitcher, Edwin Jackson.

Rosenthal notes that the combined salary of both pitchers would jump from $12.8 million to about $20.5 million in 2011 – a salary too high for the Diamondbacks to afford. With Willis, the D-backs will only be responsible for the prorated portion of the $400,000 minimum salary (about $200-300K).