How Have the Tigers' Offseason Acquisitions Fared So Far?

The Detroit Tigers are off a strong start to the season and one of the major reasons why is because of the successful winter that they had.

Coming into the offseason, the Tigers were fairly aggressive to try and make upgrades to support a young roster that exceeded expectations last year.

So far, the decisions have paid off.

While it might not have been a perfect offseason, it is shaping up to be a very good one. Detroit didn’t take many long-term risks with the moves it made, keeping financial flexibility for the future.

With the campaign a little over a month completed, here are grades from their top free-agent signings so far.

Alex Cobb (F)

This was a puzzling move at the time for the Tigers and hasn’t been a good one so far. The veteran right-hander has yet to make his season debut, and with one of the best rotations in the league, it’s hard to figure where Cobb might fit into that.

While you can never have too much pitching, Detroit gave him a substantial one-year deal, and that money would have been better-suited elsewhere.

Gleyber Torres (B)

Even though he missed some time this year, Torres has performed quite well when on the field for Detroit.

So far this campaign, he has slashed .290/.348/.460 with four home runs and 20 RBI. In the offseason, a big need for the Tigers was to improve from the right side of the plate. While they have had some players step up in that area, Torres has done a good job this season, helping improve that area of weakness.

Tommy Kahnle (A+)

Even though the bullpen was strong for Detroit in 2024 down the stretch and into the playoffs, they decided to bolster the unit some more with th addition of Tommy Kahnle from the New York Yankees.

The right-hander has been a very good pitcher over the course of his career with plenty of playoff experience.

Even though manager A.J. Hinch doesn’t really commit to just one person to close out games, it is Kahnle who leads the team in saves so far.

He has pitched incredibly well with a ridiculous 0.66 ERA so far this year. Having a strong bullpen is very important if a team is to be a contender, and Kahnle has been an excellent signing so far.

Jack Flaherty (B)

For the second winter in a row, the Tigers signed Flaherty, but this year it was with the intention of him helping them achieve success in the postseason.

With a need for another front-line starter behind Tarik Skubal, Flaherty certainly fits the bill.

So far, despite a losing record, he has pitched well with a 3.79 ERA. The veteran right-hander has playoff experience after pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season and will be counted on heavily come postseason time.