Detroit Tigers Reportedly Showing Interest in Three Free Agent Starting Pitchers

The Detroit Tigers have long been expected to be involved in the market for starting pitching this offseason to add some help behind Tarik Skubal and try to make an even deeper run in the postseason in 2025.

That expectation is becoming reality and the Tigers have been showing interest in at least three available starting pitchers as the Winter Meetings get started this week. According to a report from Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, Detroit is involved with right-handed hurlers Walker Buehler and Kyle Gibson as well as lefty Andrew Heaney. This comes on the heels of the team coming to terms on Monday with free agent right-handed pitcher Alex Cobb, but the team may not be done making moves.

It's not the first time Buehler has been linked to the Tigers as the two-time All-Star has long been seen as a potential option Detroit could try to buy low on with a one-year deal just as they did with Jack Flaherty last offseason. The Flaherty gamble paid off big time and even though the team dealt him away at the deadline, they ended up with potentially a critical piece of the future in Trey Sweeney. Seeing Scott Harris want to try to replicate the same process is not much of a surprise.

All three pitchers are similar in the way that they have shown flashes of brilliance but at this point aren't much better than above average. Buehler last was productive in 2021 and finished top-five in Cy Young voting that season but has simply not played a lot of baseball in the three seasons since. With just 28 starts in the last three years including missing the entire 2023 season, Buehler struggled to get back to form this season but finally showed flashes of his old self in the postseason.

Buehler would also be the most expensive option of the three due to showing ace-like potential in the past and if he is unwilling to take a one-year deal, it probably won't be a fit for Detroit.

Gibson and Heaney meanwhile have struggled less with injuries and more with declining performance after decade-plus careers. The best stint of Heaney's career came two years ago with the Dodgers when he posted a 3.10 ERA in 16 appearances. The two years since have been solid but unremarkable with a 4.22 ERA in 59 starts, but he certainly offers a quality and reliable addition.

Gibson is similarly reliable and has made over 30 starts in each of the last four seasons. He also sports an ERA in that period in the mid 4's and spent the 2024 season with a solid 4.24 in 30 starts.

Buehler has more upside that Heaney and Gibson, but all three could be quality additions to Detroit's rotation in 2025 and in a worst case eat some innings for a team that is desperate for pitching.

After Cobb was already added, bringing in multiple of the three feels unlikely, but it was never going to be just one addition to the rotation for the Tigers this offseason.