Drew Anderson's Tarik Skubal Test Carries a $10 Million Question
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Tarik Skubal will receive most of the attention when the Detroit Tigers open their weekend series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday. The less emotional starting pitcher in the matchup carries a decision Detroit must make after the campaign.
Drew Anderson will make his seventh start after spending most of the year as a multi-inning reliever. The right-hander entered the game with a 4-5 record, 4.09 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and 91 strikeouts in 81.1 innings.
Those totals only begin to explain Anderson's value. He started, opened games, covered multiple innings and recorded two saves before the Tigers moved him into the rotation following the trades of Skubal and Casey Mize.
Anderson Has Stabilized an Unsettled Rotation
Anderson posted a 3.57 ERA across 17.2 innings in his previous four outings, allowing 16 hits and six walks while striking out 13. He completed five innings in each of his last two starts, although opponents hit four home runs during that four-game stretch.
Detroit did not sign Anderson last winter to become a traditional ace. The Tigers brought him back from the Korea Baseball Organization because his improved arsenal gave them a flexible option who could compete for starts and absorb difficult innings.
The original investment reflected that upside. Anderson signed a one-year, $7 million contract that included a $10 million club option for 2027, according to MLB.com's report on the agreement. The option does not include a buyout penalty, which gives Detroit a clean choice after the year.
The $10 Million Decision Needs More Evidence
One start against the Dodgers should not determine Anderson's future. Los Angeles entered Friday with one of baseball's deepest lineups, and Skubal's return will create an unusual environment at Comerica Park. A strong performance would still show the Tigers that Anderson can handle a difficult assignment as a starter rather than survive shorter appearances.
Detroit must evaluate the role and cost together. A $10 million starter who can provide reliable innings would be useful for a rotation that already lost Skubal and Mize. A $10 million swingman would become a more complicated luxury, especially if the Tigers need to spend aggressively on higher-end pitching.
Anderson's strikeout total provides one reason for optimism, while his recent home-run trouble supplies the caution. He has shown enough durability and adaptability to remain in the conversation, but six starts cannot answer whether he should hold a rotation spot throughout 2027.
Friday gives the Tigers another meaningful data point. Anderson will not generate the ovation, emotion, or national attention surrounding the two-time American League Cy Young Award winner on the other side. His outing could nevertheless shape one of Detroit's first and most important decisions of the offseason.
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