Tigers Mentioned as Potential Surprise Candidate For Free Agent Star Slugger
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The Detroit Tigers have had a very special season and an impressive playoff run, but the way the regular season came to a close made it more clear than ever that changes are going to have to be made.
Surrendering the largest blown lead in the history of Major League Baseball's divisional era, even though the Tigers took some major steps this year, it's clear they need some help this winter. The hope from fans is that they will spend like a team wthatbelieves they can contend, because that's what they should believe.
Naturally, much of the free agent attention has still revolved around Alex Bregman, who is expected to opt out of his deal with the Boston Red Sox and become available again. Though Bregman has been linked once again to Detroit, there could be another big name they're a fit for.
Tigers Mentioned as Possible Fit For Cody Bellinger
Coming off a tremendous year in his first season with the New York Yankees, 2019 National League MVP Cody Bellinger is widely expected to opt out of his deal and become a free agent. In a recent article naming possible fits, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report pointed out the obvious Bregman possibility, but said Bellinger could make a lot of sense as well.
"...there is also a potential fit for Bellinger in the outfield, especially given the injury issues Parker Meadows has navigated and the limited track record Wenceel Perez provides," Reuter wrote. "They are also an organization that values defensive versatility more than most, and could use Bellinger all over the outfield and in occasional starts at first base, with Spencer Torkelson serving as designated hitter."
Reuter went on to state that signing someone like Bellinger could go a long way towards convincing Tarik Skubal -- a free agent after 2026 -- that they are all-in on winning long-term. While that makes sense, it could go beyond that as well and signal Detroit's urgency for next season.
Tigers Should Be All In on Winning in 2026
Though Reuter brings up a real point about spending this offseason as a means to keeping Skubal around, the reality is that next season could very well be the last year they have the best pitcher on the planet in the fold.
Detroit needs to take advantage of this window and go for it all while they still have Skubal before a looming serious youth movement with the franchise takes precedence. Signing someone like Bellinger to a lucrative contract -- ideally for a shorter-term move -- would be an excellent sign that this team is as urgent as they should be next year.
Bellinger Could Be Phenomenal Fit for Tigers
After a season in 2024 with the Chicago Cubs, which was really just average, Bellinger returned to the kind of 5.0 bWAR superstar he has been throughout his career following a trade to the Yankees. Slashing .272/.334/.480 with 29 home runs and 98 RBI over 152 games played, the 30-year-old was dominant.
Not only could he add some much-needed additional contact and pop to Detroit's lineup, but he could serve in any role necessary in the outfield as well as at first base. If the Tigers were really going to go in this direction, changes would have to be made, but there's no question that Bellinger makes this team better.
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Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.