Tigers Unexpectedly Linked to Two Free Agent Star Relievers Who Remain Available
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The Detroit Tigers entered the offseason expected to add more to their pitching staff than any other unit on the team, and to this point, that has proven to be the case.
After the bullpen largely crumbled down the stretch, Detroit has invested some legitimate assets there by bringing back Kyle Finnegan after his dominant stint as well as signing Kenley Jansen to be their new closer.
In a free agent market which has moved particularly slow outside the relievers however, at least one major insider believes they are not done adding to the bullpen. In a recent article detailing team plans across the league, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required) said there could be more done there.
Specifically, Rosenthal linked Seranthony Domínguez of the Toronto Blue Jays and Tyler Kinley of the Atlanta Braves as potential options for Scott Harris to look at.
Tigers Linked by Rosenthal to Seranthony Domínguez and Tyler Kinley
"Detroit has already invested in the unit, re-signing Kyle Finnegan to a two-year, $19 million deal and signing Kenley Jansen to a one-year, $9 million pact," Rosenthal wrote. "The Tigers also feature Will Vest as a high-leverage option, but there’s room for another right-hander. Either free agent right-hander Seranthony Domínguez or Tyler Kinley would help."
Though Rosenthal did not explicitly say that Detroit is in contact with Domínguez or Kinley, he is one of the most knowledgeable insiders in baseball, and him saying they could add another reliever is extremely notable.
The Tigers should be fortifying their bullpen as much as they possibly can, and acquiring another legitimate right-hander on a Major League contract could be exactly the way to do just that. As for which one, Detroit likely could not go wrong by signing either.
Which Option Should Tigers Fully Go After?
In terms of a safe floor, it would be tough to go much safer than someone like Domínguez, who had a 3.16 ERA and 1.277 WHIP across 67 appearances in 2025. His numbers remained virtually the same after being traded from the Baltimore Orioles to Toronto, with 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings
There was a serious uptick in command problems, though, as the 31-year-old walked 5.2 batters per nine for by far the wildest year of his seven-year career.
As for Kinley, he has been a largely replaceable reliever for most of his eight-year career, but it was a dominating run for the Braves after the deadline that makes him intriguing. The veteran had a 0.72 ERA, 0.680 WHIP, and an absurd 1.3 bWAR across just 25 innings after arriving to Atlanta, heating up in a way he never had.
Pitching stats from Colorado -- where he had spent the previous six years with the Rockies -- are generally taken with a grain of salt due to the thin air, so if Detroit thinks Kinley has figured it out once removed from the altitude, he could be a supremely medium risk-high reward type signing.
It's possible that he is looking for more than teams are willing to spend because of that wild run of success coming off a career of mostly mediocrity and that's why he remains available. Given how long things are taking to play out, however, perhaps Kinley would entertain something more realistic.
Regardless of who it ends up being, it sounds like Rosenthal believes the Tigers are not done with the market here, and while each comes with its pros and cons, perhaps Detroit can still sign one of Domínguez or Kinley.
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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.