 His disappointing season led to the possibility of a trade, with general manager Charlie Gehringer acknowledging that Houtteman might be traded if the right offer came along.Houtteman spent the offseason selling cars and making public appearances for the Detroit Tigers.During the 1953 Detroit Tigers season there were rumors of possible trades for Houtteman, with the Yankees proposing the possibility of trading Hank Bauer, an infielder, and Gil McDougald for Houtteman.