Tigers Should Prioritize Yankees Star in Aggressive Move to Improve Outfield

The Detroit Tigers are looking for another bat and it is time to pursue this New York Yankees free agent before it's too late.

A general view of the Detroit Tigers script logo on the building at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium during the spring training game between the Detroit Tigers and the Toronto Blue Jays. | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

One upgrade the Detroit Tigers have been in desperate need of is a proven bat, and with third baseman Alex Bregman officially off the market, it is time to look elsewhere.

The ballclub has been linked to two-time Silver Slugger Award-winning outfielder Cody Bellinger, and now they must pivot in his direction to bolster their outfield.

The Tigers were sent home in a heartbreaking extra-inning showdown in game five of the ALDS against the Seattle Mariners. Their roster had a pair of Silver Slugger Award winners as well as a Gold Glove, led by the best pitcher in baseball, but they still didn't have a chance to compete for the pennant.

So, what was missing? An elite defender in the outfield and a proven hitter in the lineup.

What Bellinger Brings to the Table

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Bellinger, in his season in New York, finished with 29 home runs and 98 RBI. Acquiring Bellinger would ultimately be the right move, adding a proven bat who has hit no worse than .266 in the last three years.

2025 was easily the best year that he has had in recent years which is why he was named a finalist for another Silver Slugger Award finalist. To complement his near 30 long ball 100 runs batted in season he batted .272 while slugging .480.

The hardware that he has been honored with throughout his career is impressive, even with two injury-riddled seasons in Los Angeles in 2021 and 2022.

• National League MVP: 2019
• National League Rookie of the Year: 2017
• World Series Champion: 2020 (with the Dodgers)
• All-Star: 2017, 2019
• Silver Slugger Award: 2019, 2023 (Utility)
• Gold Glove Award: 2019
• NLCS MVP: 2018
• All-MLB First Team: 2019
• NL Comeback Player of the Year: 2023 

An Obvious Need for a Proven Bat

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Detroit might have had utility man Zach McKinstry and outfield Riley Greene win their first Silver Sluggers in 2025, but they looked anything but an offensive threat in the playoffs. The two averaged a hitting percentage of .192 and combined for 19 strikeouts in eight games.

Even if McKinstry and Greene had both been lights out, it wouldn't have been enough to take home the pennant. The Tigers need depth in their lineup as four players batted under .200 in the playoffs.

Bellinger's list of accolades is long, and he brings talent on both sides of the ball with hardware at the plate as well as in the field. Any ballclub is going to be immensely better with him on their roster, and it needs to be the Tigers if they want to bounce back from their 2025 showcase.