National Analyst Urges Tigers to Pursue Elite Contact Hitter in Free Agency
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The Detroit Tigers were the hottest team in baseball to end 2024 and to start 2025. Their young bats started meshing well together, producing at the plate, and their pitching staff looked untouchable.
Getting to the playoffs last season by the skin of their teeth due to a mega collapse in the second half of the season, the Tigers had the same result as they did in 2024; losing Game 5 of the ALDS. A large part of their struggles in the playoffs stemmed from their lack of clutch at-bats and too many strikeouts.
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This Detroit team feels a few pieces away from being true American League threats, but this offseason, they've only added players to their pitching depth, despite signing one batter to a minor league deal.
MLB Network's Matt Vasgersian took a look at the available free agents who have yet to sign, and one player specifically stood out to him as one the Tigers should add.
Matt Vasgersian Wants Luis Arráez in Detroit
"For me, the Detroit Tigers are the fit, they've been the fit since the beginning of the offseason," Vasgersian said.
"I know they've got this young kid, Kevin McGonigle, who they like a lot, who might make things uncomfortable and fight for a job in the preseason. I know they brought back Gleyber Torres, but man, this guy would look really good in a lineup that struggled to not strike out last year."
Arráez has won three batting titles and could easily do so again somewhere down the line. While the game is more focused on exit velocity and power now compared to contact hitting, Detroit would benefit from a player like Arráez in the lineup.
Some concerns that come to mind are his fielding, especially with Spencer Torkelson at first base and Torres and Colt Keith sharing the second base position. Perhaps he could be used as a designated hitter, but then again, that spot features Kerry Carpenter against righties and Jahmai Jones against lefties.
But seeing how often the Tigers struck out or couldn't get a base hit with runners in scoring position in the playoffs last season, Arráez has to have been on their radar. Last season, Arráez struck out 21 times and held an OPS of .719, which was league average in 2025.
The last Tigers player who consistently started games to have a .300 average or higher was Miguel Cabrera in 2016, unless you count JD Martinez hitting .305 in 57 games with Detroit before being traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Regardless, it's been a while since a hitter like Arráez has donned the Ole' English D.
It's difficult to see Detroit signing anyone until after Tarik Skubal's arbitration hearing, but before spring training, Arráez should be signed by someone, and it could be a very good addition to the Tigers.
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Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.