Signing Sean Manaea Would Soldify a Young Rotation for Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers are heading into the Winter Meetings looking to improve a team that shocked the league last year.

Nobody saw the Tigers coming in the second half of the 2024 campaign. Detroit was able to become one of the hottest teams in baseball, and rode the wave of momentum right into the playoffs.

In the postseason, the Tigers were able to dethrone the Houston Astros in the American League Wild Card Round, proving that they are a team to worry about in the coming years. While it was a great run, Detroit does still have some holes to fill.

While adding some power to their offense should be the No.1 priority this winter, they could also use another arm for their rotation. Recently, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report highlighted the Tigers as a potential landing spot for left-hander Sean Manaea in free agency. While he did mention that adding offense should come first, the talented southpaw would be a big help to the rotation.

“The Tigers are another revenue-sharing recipient that should start loading up. And if they were to go after Manaea, the goal would be to further solidify a rotation that already looks good underneath Skubal, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner.”

Led by Tarik Skubal, who won the American League Cy Young, Detroit has a very young pitching staff that has a bright future. Pitchers like Jackson Jobe, Casey Mize, and Reese Olson, could help create one of the best starting rotations in baseball if they can stay healthy and reach their potential.

However, with Detroit being a contender all of the sudden, they have to think like a true contending team would now. While those pitchers might develop and help them win, the organization has to focus on trying to do as much as they can while Skubal is still on the team.

Adding a pitcher like Manaea would give the Tigers someone that they can depend on during the regular season, and who would be capable of starting a game in the playoffs right behind Skubal.

There are a lot of unknowns in the rotation currently for Detroit, and that is something that should be a slight concern and might need to be addressed. Manaea is coming off a season with a (12-6) record, 3.46 ERA, and 3.0 WAR. He performed well for the New York Mets at the top of their rotation, and would be a nice addition.

Fortunately, due to their current payroll, the Tigers also wouldn’t be hit too hard by the draft compensation that they would have to give the Mets. Adding the southpaw makes a lot of sense for Detroit and their need to win now.