Will Tigers Open Checkbook This Winter and Pursue Legitimate Ace in Free Agency?
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The Detroit Tigers are headed into the offseason once again as a team that made a playoff run in the American League and should be willing to get involved in the pursuit of top free agents available.
Coming off last year's unlikely run, fans had expectations that the Tigers would land some big fish, and while they admirably gave it a run at Alex Bregman, they fell short. Detroit didn't have a disastrous offseason last winter by any means, but it did not bring results since they were eliminated at the exact same point as the 2024 season.
The two main additions -- Gleyber Torres and Jack Flaherty -- had up and down years. Ultimately, it proved to be not enough by president of baseball operations Scott Harris. Headed into this offseason, whether or not Harris and Tigers ownership are willing to wade into the deep end of negotiations for the very top names could determine next year's ceiling.
Tigers Have Numerous Options To Land Second Ace
Last year's free agency class in terms of starting pitchers was solid, but there was no way Detroit was going to be involved with the very top-of-the-market names who wound up getting massive nine-figure deals like Max Fried, Blake Snell and Corbin Burnes.
This time around, options at the top -- such as Houston Astros ace Framber Valdez, San Diego Padres stars Michael King and Dylan Cease and Philadelphia Phillies southpaw Ranger Suárez -- could wind up signing much more reasonable contracts.
Make no mistake, none of them are going to come cheap, but the Tigers should have real motivation to land one of them and build an elite rotation for 2026.
Detroit Should Be All-In on Trying to Win in 2026
While Detroit seemingly is going to, at the very least, field calls on their soon-to-be repeat American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, ultimately it feels more likely than not that they hold onto him for the last year before he hits free agency.
If this proves to be the strategy, they must take advantage of the window of having the best pitcher on the planet at the top of their rotation and add another one into the fold. That doesn't necessarily mean handing out a long-term contract, but the identifying of talent must be better this offseason than it was last year.
Signing a high-potential option, even if it's just to a lucrative short-term deal, is an absolute must if they are not going to keep Skubal, especially if they choose to keep him and try to capitalize on what very well may just be a one-year window.
Pairing a second ace with Skubal would do wonders both for the rotation and the win-loss column, so if Detroit is going to try to win in 2026, they simply must make it happen.
Whether they feel the same way or not remains to be seen, but the Tigers have some real decisions to make this winter.
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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.