Welcome to “Five Things We Liked From the Past Week”, a weekly smorgasbord of… five things we liked from the past week (or in this case, from the offseason to date):
1. Jack Flaherty
Return of the Jack. Jack in the Saddle Again. Go back, Jack, Do It Again.
Jack Flaherty is back.
Fourteen months ago, Flaherty signed a one year prove it deal with the Detroit Tigers to show that he was healthy and effective. It couldn’t have gone much better for the right-hander or Detroit; Flaherty proved it, and the Tigers reaped the benefits by trading him at the 2024 trade deadline for Trey Sweeney and Thayron Liranzo.
The rest is history: Flaherty’s new team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, went on to win the World Series with Flaherty’s help, and the Tigers not only received a strong catching prospect in Liranzo, but with Sweeney’s help, went on a historic run to reach the ALDS.
The Tigers and Flaherty are hoping history repeats itself (at least partially) with this signing; only ideally this time, Jack will stick around and help Detroit make another postseason push.
The structure of the deal is a win-win for both sides, as Flaherty gets a guaranteed $25 million in 2025, and also gets an opt-out on a $10 million option for 2026 that could double if he makes 15 starts in ’25. The Tigers on the other hand get a bonafide near the top of the rotation starter for minimal risk based on the length of the contract.
There were 57 pitchers who threw 162 innings or more last season. Flaherty’s 3.17 ERA ranked 13th among those 57, his 3.00 xFIP ranked 4th, his 29.9% K% also ranked 4th, his 5.9% BB% ranked 16th and his 34.9% Hard Hit% ranked 12th. He was also in the 91st percentile in whiff rate among all MLB pitchers. (For more on Flaherty’s return to Detroit, please check out our own Rogelio Castillo’s reaction here.)
Based on a limited social media sample, most Tigers fans were jacked to see Flaherty back in Detroit. Flaherty not only adds a lot of talent to the starting rotation, he also improves the already strong depth the Tigers possess in the starting pitching department:
2. Starting pitching depth
Although most teams begin the season with a five man rotation, teams generally need way more than 5 starting pitchers to get through the grind of a full season. For example, from 2019 (which feels like 1919 by now) to 2024, excluding openers and the shortened 2020 season, the Tigers used on average 10 starters per year.
Assuming that Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, Reese Olson and Alex Cobb have rotation spots locked up heading into spring training, the Tigers have 7 legitimate contenders for the final spot in the rotation: Jackson Jobe, Casey Mize, Kenta Maeda, Matt Manning, Keider Montero, Brant Hurter and Ty Madden. (And that’s not including Sawyer Gipson-Long, who is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery but should be available later in the ’25 season.) Based on some recent commentary from beat writers and also Tigers president of baseball ops Scott Harris, Jobe would appear to have the leg up on the 5th spot for now.
Projection systems are just that, projections, but in checking out the starting pitching depth for other teams in the American League, the Tigers appear to be in good shape. FanGraphs depth charts generally list between 9-10 starters for each team. In looking at the FanGraphs depth charts projections for each American League team’s “depth” starters (anyone projected to start outside of the top 5), while this statistical analysis is certainly not Harvard-level, Detroit’s non-top 5 starters (we are including Jobe with the aforementioned top 4) came in with the 4th lowest projected average FIP (4.15) of all AL teams, outside of Tampa Bay, Cleveland and Minnesota.
It wouldn’t be a major surprise for any one of the 8 starters outside of Skubal, Flaherty, Olson and Cobb to make meaningful starts in the D this summer, which for the Tigers, is a good problem to have.
| 2025 Steamer Projections, Detroit Tigers Starting Pitchers | ||||||||
| Name | IP | K/9 | BB/9 | HR/9 | GB% | ERA | FIP | WAR |
| Tarik Skubal | 196.1 | 10.5 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 44% | 2.92 | 2.97 | 5.0 |
| Jack Flaherty | 169.2 | 9.5 | 2.8 | 1.1 | 42% | 3.73 | 3.76 | 2.5 |
| Reese Olson | 144.0 | 8.3 | 2.9 | 1.0 | 45% | 3.87 | 3.88 | 2.0 |
| Alex Cobb | 126.2 | 7.5 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 53% | 3.67 | 3.67 | 1.9 |
| Casey Mize | 123.2 | 7.3 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 45% | 4.14 | 4.16 | 1.3 |
| Jackson Jobe | 113.2 | 7.0 | 3.3 | 1.4 | 39% | 4.63 | 4.81 | 0.1 |
| Kenta Maeda | 63.1 | 8.8 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 37% | 3.84 | 3.86 | 0.5 |
| Keider Montero | 55.1 | 8.0 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 40% | 4.10 | 4.24 | 0.3 |
| Matt Manning | 50.0 | 7.7 | 2.7 | 1.2 | 39% | 4.02 | 4.13 | 0.1 |
| Brant Hurter | 50.0 | 7.6 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 49% | 3.46 | 3.62 | 0.4 |
| Sawyer Gipson-Long | 48.1 | 8.5 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 42% | 3.65 | 3.69 | 0.4 |
| Ty Madden | 43.0 | 8.6 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 39% | 3.81 | 3.92 | 0.3 |
3. Bullpen depth
As a Tigers fan who has suffered through many bullpen meltdowns over the past 15-20 years (I was going to include a hyperlink, but we’ve been through enough lately), last year was a breath of fresh air, as the Tigers’ bullpen ranked 5th in the league in ERA. A.J. Hinch seemingly made the right move at the right time most of the year, and the relievers stepped up time and time again.
Heading in to the ’25 season, the Tigers’ bullpen, like the starting rotation, appears to be looking good; including their depth.
The Tigers have 23 pitchers on the 40 man roster as of today; 12 of which could be considered true relievers. Looking at the Steamer projections, 9 of the 12 have a projected FIP below the 2024 league average of 4.08. Looking at the group of 12 as a whole, while they don’t project to put up big strikeout numbers, the projections forecast the group’s FIP to be 3.83, which would have tied for 10th in the majors last season among all bullpens.
Steamer also projects the group’s GB% at 45.2%, which would have ranked 5th last season among all bullpens, and projects the group’s BB/9 at 3.06 and HR/9 at .95; both would have tied for 8th among all bullpens in 2024.
Outside of those 12, the Tigers brought in Ryan Miller, Jordan Balazovic, Dietrich Enns and Matt Gage on minor league deals this offseason, and also return Lael Lockhart and Ricky Vanasco; any of the six could see action in Detroit next season.
Brendan White and Freddy Pacheco are both returning from injuries but have the tools to make an impact. Former top prospect Wilmer Flores could also be a major wildcard in the equation based on his raw stuff, as his ceiling is as high as anyone’s, and RJ Petit could factor in after a strong ’24 season in Erie. Several of the starters listed above could see time in the ‘pen as well.
Mix it all together, and there could be over 20 pitchers fighting for 3 spots in the Tigers’ bullpen, if Tyler Holton, Will Vest, Jason Foley, Tommy Kahnle and Beau Brieske are healthy. Like Rex from Toy Story, I don’t like confrontations, so I don’t envy Scott Harris and A.J. Hinch having to sort through all of that. But just like the depth in the rotation, for Detroit, it’s a good problem to have.
| 2025 Steamer Projections, Detroit Tigers Relief Pitchers | ||||||
| Name | K/9 | BB/9 | HR/9 | GB% | ERA | FIP |
| Tyler Holton | 8.1 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 43% | 3.56 | 3.73 |
| Will Vest | 8.9 | 2.8 | 0.9 | 46% | 3.40 | 3.49 |
| Beau Brieske | 8.8 | 3.3 | 1.1 | 38% | 3.90 | 4.05 |
| Jason Foley | 7.7 | 2.7 | 0.9 | 49% | 3.71 | 3.75 |
| Sean Guenther | 7.2 | 2.7 | 0.9 | 49% | 3.66 | 3.88 |
| Tommy Kahnle | 9.1 | 3.8 | 0.9 | 47% | 3.69 | 3.83 |
| Alex Lange | 10.0 | 4.4 | 0.8 | 46% | 3.65 | 3.77 |
| Brenan Hanifee | 7.2 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 50% | 3.71 | 3.81 |
| Mason Englert | 7.9 | 2.7 | 1.2 | 41% | 4.06 | 4.14 |
| Tyler Mattison | 8.9 | 3.8 | 1.1 | 39% | 4.01 | 4.18 |
| Chase Lee | 8.5 | 3.1 | 0.9 | 46% | 3.67 | 3.81 |
| Ryan Miller | 7.4 | 3.1 | 1.2 | 40% | 4.30 | 4.46 |
| Matt Gage | 8.3 | 3.7 | 1.0 | 45% | 3.76 | 4.06 |
| Tyler Owens | 7.3 | 3.3 | 1.2 | 42% | 4.29 | 4.44 |
| Jordan Balazovic | 8.2 | 3.5 | 1.0 | 46% | 3.89 | 4.02 |
| Brendan White | 8.2 | 3.3 | 0.9 | 48% | 3.85 | 3.95 |
| Dietrich Enns | 8.9 | 3.3 | 1.1 | 36% | 3.83 | 4.05 |
| Wilmer Flores | 7.6 | 3.2 | 1.0 | 46% | 4.03 | 4.17 |
| Lael Lockhart | 7.2 | 3.7 | 1.2 | 42% | 4.40 | 4.65 |
| Freddy Pacheco | 7.2 | 3.6 | 1.4 | 37% | 4.80 | 4.91 |
| Ricky Vanasco | 8.3 | 4.2 | 1.0 | 43% | 4.10 | 4.31 |
| RJ Petit | 7.5 | 3.6 | 1.1 | 43% | 4.30 | 4.46 |
4. Position player depth (yes, there’s a theme)
If the ’25 season started today, not only would teams and players be caught way off guard, but the following 11 hitters would appear to be relative locks for the Tigers’ opening day roster: Jake Rogers, Dillon Dingler, Colt Keith, Gleyber Torres, Trey Sweeney, Matt Vierling, Zack McKinstry, Andy Ibáñez, Riley Greene, Parker Meadows and Kerry Carpenter.
If that is the case, at least two of the of the following four players would necessarily start the season in Toledo: Jace Jung, Spencer Torkelson, Wenceel Pérez and Justyn-Henry Malloy.
Those four combined for 309 games played and 1,130 plate appearances last year, and were all at different times at least semi-regulars. Having two of the four as depth in Toledo is a luxury, and the way Detroit has set up the roster, provides a lot of flexibility to cover almost any position outside of shortstop and catcher.
Eventually shortstop should be an area with some defensive depth also once Javy Báez returns from hip surgery, and with Ryan Kreidler on the 40 man roster as a strong defender. At catcher, the Tigers brought back veteran Tomás Nido and brought in Brian Serven, two catchers with big league experience and also known for their defense, and return Stephen Scott, who put up good numbers last season in AA and AAA. Detroit also added IF/OF Jahmai Jones on a minor league deal in the offseason, and bring back Akil Baddoo, Justice Bigbie, Andrew Navigato, Bligh Madris and Eddys Leonard, with second base prospect Hao-Yu Lee knocking on the door as well.
Overall, while it may not quite match their pitching, the Tigers have some depth positionally.
| 2025 Steamer Projections, Detroit Tigers Hitters | ||||||||
| Name | BB% | K% | ISO | AVG | OBP | SLG | wRC+ | WAR |
| Riley Greene | 10.5% | 24.1% | .189 | .267 | .348 | .456 | 129 | 4 |
| Gleyber Torres | 9.6% | 17.8% | .146 | .258 | .332 | .403 | 112 | 3 |
| Parker Meadows | 9.3% | 23.0% | .161 | .237 | .312 | .398 | 103 | 2.8 |
| Jake Rogers | 7.4% | 29.2% | .169 | .214 | .279 | .384 | 88 | 2.6 |
| Colt Keith | 7.9% | 19.2% | .155 | .263 | .325 | .419 | 112 | 2.2 |
| Matt Vierling | 7.9% | 21.3% | .142 | .252 | .316 | .394 | 103 | 1.7 |
| Kerry Carpenter | 7.2% | 25.1% | .211 | .255 | .317 | .466 | 121 | 1.5 |
| Jace Jung | 12.0% | 25.6% | .146 | .226 | .323 | .372 | 102 | 1.3 |
| Trey Sweeney | 8.4% | 26.4% | .136 | .224 | .295 | .361 | 88 | 1.1 |
| Dillon Dingler | 7.1% | 27.7% | .154 | .225 | .289 | .380 | 91 | 0.9 |
| Wenceel Pérez | 8.4% | 20.7% | .144 | .240 | .308 | .384 | 98 | 0.8 |
| Javier Báez | 4.7% | 23.5% | .142 | .235 | .278 | .378 | 85 | 0.8 |
| Zach McKinstry | 8.2% | 21.4% | .131 | .232 | .300 | .363 | 90 | 0.5 |
| Andy Ibáñez | 6.7% | 20.6% | .133 | .245 | .301 | .378 | 94 | 0.3 |
| Spencer Torkelson | 10.2% | 27.0% | .178 | .221 | .306 | .399 | 102 | 0.2 |
| Justyn-Henry Malloy | 12.8% | 30.0% | .148 | .223 | .330 | .371 | 105 | 0.1 |
| Tomás Nido | 4.5% | 24.2% | .116 | .234 | .272 | .350 | 76 | 0 |
| Ryan Kreidler | 9.4% | 30.3% | .123 | .198 | .283 | .320 | 75 | 0 |
| Stephen Scott | 9.5% | 24.5% | .133 | .212 | .292 | .345 | 84 | 0 |
| Hao-Yu Lee | 6.9% | 20.4% | .125 | .247 | .306 | .372 | 95 | 0 |
| Eddys Leonard | 5.9% | 24.3% | .137 | .231 | .287 | .368 | 87 | 0 |
| Andrew Navigato | 6.8% | 25.2% | .141 | .222 | .285 | .363 | 85 | 0 |
| Akil Baddoo | 10.3% | 27.9% | .146 | .220 | .303 | .366 | 92 | 0 |
| Brian Serven | 7.7% | 30.0% | .111 | .191 | .261 | .302 | 62 | 0 |
| Justice Bigbie | 7.3% | 21.8% | .103 | .239 | .301 | .342 | 86 | 0 |
| Jahmai Jones | 10.2% | 26.4% | .131 | .225 | .313 | .355 | 94 | 0 |
5. Cris Rodriguez
Speaking of prospects, the Tigers appear to have added a good one in 17-year-old Cris Rodriguez, out of the capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, during the 2024-2025 international signing period.
The international signing process leaves much to be desired, but the game is out there, and it’s either play, or get played. In signing Rodriguez, the Tigers have added their highest ranked international prospect on record, and in turn also handed out the largest bonus they’ve ever given to an international prospect.
Scouting reports tend to be high on Rodriguez, as do the Tigers. Rodriguez appears to have a strong power / speed combination that is rare for a youngster, and available batting practice footage allows for some dreaming as well.
In reading about Rodriguez’ signing bonus of over $3,000,000 though, it was hard not to think back to being a teenager and getting a bonus like that. My biggest purchases at age 17 were subs for my 1995 Dodge Neon, and a guitar amp that I couldn’t afford and never used. Assistant GM Rob Metzler and Latin America Scouting Director Miguel Garcia raved about Rodriguez’ character after the signing, and he will surely handle his money more wisely.
Chris Brown 
Rogelio Castillo