Relief Pitchers the Tigers Should Target in Free Agency

The Tigers once again enter the offseason following a disappointing loss in Game 5 of the American League Division Series. Rather than a historic playoff chase in 2024, the ball club put together a near historic collapse, clinching a postseason berth on the second to the last day of the season. Both sides of the ball crumbled, but the folding of the bullpen was certainly felt, especially after the disappointing trade deadline from the front office. The bullpen’s ERA was 3.71 prior to July 1st. On the flip side, the bullpen ERA after July 1st was 4.43. Looking at the bullpen annually, their 4.05 ERA ranked 17th in the league. President of Baseball Operations, Scott Harris, and General Manager, Jeff Greenberg, have publicly stated their desire to improve the bullpen through free agency.

Unlike last offseason, the Tigers are seeing quite a bit of pitchers hit the free agent market. Major trade deadline acquisitions Rafael Montero and Kyle Finnegan hit free agency after two successful months in the Motor City. 36-year-old Tommy Kahnle, who threw 63 innings for Detroit, is also a free agent. The Tigers designated former late inning relievers, Alex Lange, and Jason Foley for assignment last month.

Returning staples of the bullpen include Will Vest, Tyler Holton, Brant Hurter, and Brenan Hanifee. Others returning are Chase Lee, Bailey Horn, Keider Montero, and Beau Brieske. Chase Lee and Bailey Horn both showed promising stuff in the bullpen. They spent most of the season going up and down I-75 from Toledo To Detroit and vice versa. Keider Montero spent most of the year as the sixth man in the rotation, filling in whenever an injury occurred or appearing as a bulk reliever. He spent a handful of time in Toledo as well. Montero may continue being a spot starter, however, showed glimpses of excellence as a full time reliever during the ALDS against the Mariners. Beau Brieske spent most of the year on the shelf due to right ankle inflammation. Promising rookies Dylan Smith and Drew Sommers will compete for reliever jobs this spring.

This year’s free agent class for relief pitchers is headlined by Edwin Diaz, who will likely have a shrine in Cooperstown once his career is over. Other featured players include Pete Fairbanks and Robert Suarez in a relatively heavy reliever class. Some players have come off the board already. Raisel Iglesias re-signed with the Atlanta Braves for a one year, $16 million deal. Flamethrower Ryan Helsley was reportedly hearing offers to become a starting pitcher but instead signed a two year deal with Baltimore. Devin Williams just came off the board when he signed a three year, $51 million deal with the Mets to move from the Bronx to Queens.

Kyle Finnegan – 

Let’s start off with a familiar face in Kyle Finnegan. He was acquired at the deadline for 2024 draftees Josh Randall and R.J. Sales after spending six years pitching for the Nationals. Finnegan, who was born in Detroit, dominated along with Will Vest in the final two months of the regular season. The 34 year old threw 18 innings of 1.50 ERA baseball striking out 23. He throws a fastball that sits at 96 MPH and can get up to 98. Finnegan has exceptional ground ball rates that limit the late inning home run ball. He also throws a splitter which the Tigers front office have a bias for. According to Evan Petzold at the Detroit Free Press, there is “mutual interest” from both sides in a return to Detroit.

Deal: 2 years, $18 million, player option for second year.

Seranthony Dominguez –

The 31 year old just finished a World Series trip with the Blue Jays. Dominguez started the year with Baltimore but was traded in between two games of a double header against Toronto. He threw 62.2 innings and had an ERA of 3.16 on the year. The Tigers had immense trouble finding players who induce whiffs out of the bullpen. and Dominguez would be the perfect help needed. He gets a swing-and-miss from opposing batters once every three pitches. His fastball averages 97.7 MPH and can inch towards 100. The right-hander also features a sweeper and a splitter. One major downside to Dominguez’s game is his walk rate. He strikes out 30.8% of batters but walks 13.8% of them. His BB rate is 1st percentile in all of Major League Baseball. If the Tigers want more whiffs out of the bullpen they may have to sacrifice a few free passes.

Deal: 1 year, $9.5 million

Hunter Harvey – 

A former top prospect in the Orioles farm system, Harvey has turned himself into a reliable relief pitcher. He only pitched 10.2 innings this year, but successfully did not allow a run. His time on the mound was limited due to strains in his shoulder and adductor. Harvey also missed the tail end of the 2024 season due to back issues. He primarily throws a high 90s fastball and a splitter. Hunter Harvey would be a low risk high reward pitcher for a team that needs to fill an empty middle reliever spot.

Deal: 1 year, 3.5 million, team option for second year.

Robert Suarez – 

A two-time All Star for the San Diego Padres, Suarez spent several seasons pitching in Japan before making his MLB debut in 2021 at 31 years old. Suarez is arguably the second biggest name on the market behind Edwin Diaz. He led the National League in saves this past year, holding opposing batters to a 2.97 ERA across 69.2 innings pitched and punching out 75. He throws one of the hardest fastballs in the league. It averages nearly 99 MPH and works its way to 101 MPH often. Suarez also throws a changeup that tunnels well with his fastball. He turns 35 this spring which may hold him back from receiving any offers over two years, but nevertheless, he will be highly paid.

Deal: 2 years, 38 million.

Pete Fairbanks – 

Fairbanks has been an essential part of the Rays bullpen since 2020 and the de facto closing pitcher since 2023. Tampa Bay declined his $11 million team option thus making him a free agent. His funky short arm delivery held opposing batters to a .201 batting average in 60.1 innings tossed. Since 2023 he’s thrown 151 innings of 2.98 ERA ball and has been credited with 75 saves. Fairbanks, who turns 32 this month, has a two pitch mix that consists of a 97 MPH fastball and a slicing slider. The Tigers are reportedly interested in Fairbanks, who is a candidate that can yield a multi-year contract. Questions have risen regarding Fairbanks future health. Although his 2025 season was healthy, he has a rather lengthy medical record including shoulder, lat, and hip issues.

Deal: 1 year, $13.5 million, player option for second year.

Luke Weaver – 

Despite only being 32, Luke Weaver has made his way around the league, primarily as a starting pitcher though. He was a major part of the Paul Goldschmidt trade to St. Louis along with former Tiger, Carson Kelly. Since 2024, Weaver has been a full-time reliever for the New York Yankees. In 2024, he struck 103 batters in 83 innings across 62 games and a 2.89 ERA, showing that he can pitch more than three outs at a time. This past season was still solid, but a decrease in performance compared to his 2024 campaign. Weaver became more of an inning at a time pitcher, pitching in 64 games and only throwing 64.2 innings. His ERA jumped to 3.62. Although his basic pitching stats don’t look pretty, he was 82 percentile in strikeouts, 89th percentile in whiffs, and 91st percentile in chases. His expected ERA was at 2.98 which shows Weaver was unlucky on the mound. He limited opposing batters to a .195 batting average. Weaver can possibly earn a multi-year contract based on his peripherals.

Deal: 2 years, $20 million

Brad Keller – 

A former two-time opening day starter for the Kansas City Royals, Brad Keller quietly had a dominant season in the bullpen. He magically added 4 MPH to his fastball, which now averages 97.1 MPH. From 2021-2024, his ERA sat at 5.18. This past year with the Cubs, he threw 69.2 innings of 2.07 baseball and sent 75 men back to the bench via strikeout. His ground ball rate is 95th percentile for all qualifying relievers. Keller limits the amount of hard hit contact given up at an exceptional rate. He throws 5 pitches at least 12% of the time. A fastball, slider, sinker, sweeper, and changeup. Keller’s contract discussion is interesting because he may return to starting pitching or continue his new path as a reliever.

Deal: 2 years, $17.5 million

Recap: 

This year’s free agent market is deeper than usual. The Tigers are in a perfect position for bullpen help. Barring injuries or severe underperformance in spring training, Tyler Holton, Will Vest, Brenan Hanifee, and Brant Hurter have their bullpen spots reserved for them come Opening Day. There are plenty of players that can be sent to AAA-Toledo and be used as depth when injuries eventually do arise, or be ready to play in San Diego on Opening Day. The Tigers desperately need back end relievers who can induce whiffs and get the bullpen back to where it was when it led a miraculous playoff push in 2024. This is certainly the market to add that much needed shutdown identity.