The Detroit Tigers sit in a unique position after an exciting playoff run
The Detroit Tigers gave it a good go, but the 2024 MLB season ended with the Los Angeles Dodgers atop the baseball world. The offseason has now started, and with that comes change. And few teams have the chance to change more than the Tigers.
Why is that? Well, the Tigers sat 26th in payroll rankings at the end of the season, the lowest of any playoff team. That means the Tigers should have money to spend, if they want to. And they would be spending on a team with an exciting young core that exploded to a 39-26 run after the All Star break.
But, adding free agents can be a delicate process. Especially for a young team that meshed so well down the stretch. In this piece I’ll be outlining five players who would fix holes on the current roster, without disrupting team chemistry.
Gleyber Torres – 2B – Right Handed – 27 years old (28 to begin the 2025 season)
Gleyber Torres has been a popular name in the list of targets for the Tigers. He is a two-time All Star, but he has spent the last several years trying to recreate the magic of his breakout campaign in 2019. That year he hit 38 home runs, drove in 90 runs, and put together an .872 OPS with the Yankees.
In 2024 he posted a .708 OPS with just 15 home runs and 63 RBIs in 587 at-bats. The trends say his 2019 season was likely a juiced-ball anomaly. But Torres still remains a solid offensive player who hit 20+ home runs in 2022 and 2023.
The Detroit Tigers need power. They ranked 24th in home runs, 22nd in slugging, and 22nd in doubles last year. Torres would help in that department, and he has hit left-handed pitching well throughout his career.
Torres posted an on-base percentage of .330 in 2024, which nearly matches his .334 career mark. The league average was .312 last year, and the Tigers sat at just .300 as a team, good for 29th in MLB. Torres’ walk rate is above-average at 9.8%, and he generally stays in the zone. His 21.4% chase rate put him in the 92nd percentile.
Despite his encouraging offensive numbers, Torres has been, frankly, not good in the infield. He played some shortstop early in his career, but he has been exclusively a second baseman since 2022. That presents something of a problem, as Colt Keith is signed through at least 2029.
But Torres has a career -30 run value and -43 OAA on defense. To pair with that, he probably doesn’t have a strong enough arm to play third base, and he ranks in the 29th percentile for sprint speed.
It will be interesting to see the price tag Torres commands. His career 113 wRC+ makes him a firmly above-average offensive player, and he is just entering his prime years as a player.
Sportrac projects a three year, $20 million dollar deal, based on similar players and their contracts. I could see Torres commanding a deal north of that if the interest is great. But he could also be in search of a short-term bounce-back deal, with opt-outs that put him in position for a larger payday if he performs well.
Anthony Santander – OF – Switch Hitter – 30 years old
The Tigers, as mentioned before, just need more power. Santander brings that, and more.
Santander is coming off his best season as a professional. He hit 44 home runs, drove in 102 runs, slugged .506, and had an .814 OPS. That type of power is not only what the Tigers need, but is at the very top of MLB.
Santander is another hitter who fits the mold of attacking the strike zone. His whiff rate and strikeout rate are both solid, coming in at 20 percent and 19.4 percent respectively (both above average in 2024).
He does not offer much defensively as a right fielder, and would likely be best suited as a designated hitter, or at first base, as he’s played the position before. He also offers little-to-no value on the basepaths. But his bat more than makes up for both deficiencies.
Santander will be looking for a rather large contract after having his career year. Sportrac projects his contract to be around $17.7 million dollars a year for five years. But he could easily demand more because of his premium bat.
It remains to be seen if the Detroit Tigers are willing to spend that amount of money on a single player this offseason. But it would prove beneficial to give A.J. Hinch a switch hitter that can exploit any matchup. Santander can hit for power from both sides of the plate. He slugged 12 home runs with an .794 OPS against lefties in 180 at-bats, and hit 32 home runs with .822 OPS against righties in 485 at-bats.
Justin Verlander – Starting Pitcher (RHP) – 41 years old (42 to begin the 2025 season)
Homecoming! I know, I know, it seems like another very popular idea. And I see why fans want the Detroit Tigers legend future Hall of Famer to return.
Not only does it make sense from a personal standpoint for Verlander to come back to his former team, who is gearing up for another playoff run. But it also fits the team’s outlook and recent signing strategy.
Verlander will be looking for a one- or two-year deal, more than likely, given his age. And it’s hard to see any team signing him for longer given his age. Sportrac projects Verlander to land in a one year deal for just about $13.9 million dollars. And again, due to his age, I don’t see any team paying much more than that. This is one of the few market values I can see going lower.
The reason is Verlander’s health. He made just 17 starts last season and is only getting older. He had a rough year, finishing with a 5.48 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. But’s he’s not far removed from a Cy Young season in 2022, and a solid season in 2023.
Tigers’ pitching coach Chris Fetter has organized a top-of-the-line pitching staff that finished fourth in MLB in ERA (3.61), second in WHIP (1.16) and fifth in opponent’s batting average (.233). It would be intriguing to see what Fetter could get out of Verlander in the twilight of his career.
While the positives were limited in Verlander’s 2024 campaign, he still only walked batters at a 6.8% clip, and his hard-hit rate of 32.5% ranked in the 92nd percentile. His fastball velocity has dipped from 95 MPH in 2022 to 93.5 in 2024. But Verlander has certainly proven he knows how to pitch beyond throwing hard during his long career.
The Tigers will have a battle for rotation spots, as Tarik Skubal and Reese Olsen may be the only pitchers with solidified jobs. Righties Keider Montero, Kenta Maeda, Casey Mize, Matt Manning, Jackson Jobe, and Ty Madden will all be competing for a spot in the rotation. Lefty Brant Hurter also pitched very well and will have a shot at the rotation.
Mize’s continuous injuries, as well as Maeda and Manning’s inconsistent performance, leave them far from a guaranteed spot. Verlander would bring a much needed veteran presence, with the capability of catching lightning in a bottle one more time for his original team.
Jack Flaherty – Starting Pitcher (RHP) – 29 years old
Flaherty jumped out to a fiery start in his career when he first hit the big leagues in St. Louis. But after his breakout campaign in 2019 he dealt with injuries and could never quite recapture what he had.
He hit free agency ahead of the 2024 season after having a 4.99 ERA in 2023. The Detroit Tigers, equipped with Chris Fetter, took a chance on him with a one-year deal. And Flaherty immediately found his old form.
He was ultimately traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers to aid their World Series run, but had a 2.95 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP before he left Detroit, just as fans became attached to Flaherty and his comeback.
Flaherty would instantly slot back into the rotation and become a long-term piece for Detroit. Not to mention, the Tigers would have him back while still having Thayron Liranzo and Trey Sweeney.
But what else did Flaherty do well? Why is he so intriguing? Well, a 29.9% strikeout rate (90th percentile) and a 5.9% walk rate in 2024 certainly help. He limits baserunners, and is able to induce soft contact if he doesn’t strike out the batter.
The Tigers gave him one year and $14 million dollars last offseason. According to Sportrac, they would need to muster up something closer to $20 million for at least three years.
Walker Buehler – Starting Pitcher (RHP) – 30 years oldÂ
Another injury riddled starter with previous success who is due for a short-term prove-it deal. Notice a trend?
It’s wrong to expect Chris Fetter and the Detroit Tigers to fix everyone. But, he was able to transform Flaherty, and it’s worth taking a shot on Buehler.
Buehler, the long-time Los Angeles Dodger, was once one of the best pitchers in baseball. And if you told anyone in 2021 he’d be searching for a prove-it deal, they may have looked at you like you’re crazy.
But that just points to how talented Buehler is. And, at just 30, he still has plenty of time to harness what he once had.
Back in 2021 Buehler started 33 games, going 16-4 with a 2.47 ERA and 212 strikeouts in 207 2/3 IP. Since then Buehler has struggled mightily with injuries, including Tommy John surgery that kept him out of the 2023 season entirely.
His 8.1% walk rate in 2024 was the highest since his rookie year. He also gave up 89 hits in 75 1/3 innings, leading to an ugly 1.55 WHIP. It’s also very possible that Buehler cannot stay healthy, or never finds his form again.
But that risk also means a potential opportunity to sign him cheap, and short term. Scott Harris has been open about taking on short-term contracts. And has already done that with starters like Flaherty, Maeda, and Michael Lorenzen.
Buheler’s injury history may scare teams away, but his age and previous success might land him a sold deal. He could make $15-20 million annually if he has a hot market. Even at the high end of his price range, a short deal for him would be perfect in Detroit.
That’s all for today. Check back tomorrow for five more free agent options!
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