Tigers Lucrative Contract Terms on Controversial International Signing Revealed
In this story:
The Detroit Tigers made a signing last week which issued a strong reaction from the fanbase, and it's likely to get even stronger.
Fans in Detroit were for the most part not thrilled to see Detroit's first major move this offseason be a pitcher via Korea when they brought back right-hander Drew Anderson in on a Major League contract with an option for a second year.
With all the pitching talent available in free agency, the Tigers choosing to look towards the KBO for their first significant acquisition understandably has some uneasy. With the official terms being released by the team, the numbers won't have doubters feeling any better.
As first reported by Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic and others, the deal is for $7 million this season with a $10 million club option for next season as well.
Tigers Clearly Believe Anderson Can Be Impactful at MLB Level
Anderson has not pitched in Major League Baseball since 2021 and spent part of the 2024 season in Detroit's organization with Triple-A Toledo. The bulk of his career has been spent in the minor leagues especially at the Triple-A level, and until this past season, he had not done a whole lot.
In the KBO this year though, the 31-year-old was absolutely sensational. Over the course of 30 starts, Anderson posted a 2.25 ERA and 1.00 WHIP with impressive command, walking just 51 batters in 171.2 innings and posting a 12-7 record. Where he really excelled though was the strikeout department.
Racking up 245 K's, Anderson had 12.8 K/9 as he simply carved up the competition in front of him in Korea, even making a run at the league's MVP award.
Building on a solid 2024 campaign where he had a 3.89 ERA and 1.305 WHIP, the right-hander showed that he had the potential to get back to the big leagues. Clearly, Scott Harris and the front office believe he can, because this is a significant investment.
Signing Anderson is Massive Risk for Tigers Without Further Big Moves
When Detroit handed Alex Cobb a $15 million deal coming off an injury riddled campaign a year ago, many were concerned that it was too much to wager on the health of a veteran who has had trouble staying on the field.
This is a different situation, but it feels like a similar level of risk for a pitcher who has never performed at the big league level. If Harris is right, this could pay off in a huge way, but if he's wrong as he was with Cobb, he will rightfully be the topic of massive amounts of criticism in the Motor City.
Signing Anderson can be a savvy move to provide depth at the back end of the rotation, but if this is the big pitching move fans have been waiting for, it has disaster potential written all over it.
The Tigers need difference makers in the rotation and proven production, and they cannot bank on Anderson providing it. Harris will be under a close microscope the rest of the offseason to see if he supplements this move with a legitimate dynamic arm in the rotation.
Recommended Articles
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.