One Detroit Tigers Player Most Deserving of a Contract Extension
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This past offseason and earlier this season, the Detroit Tigers proved their front office isn't afraid of spending money. Entering the season with a Top 10 payroll and handing out an eight-year contract extension to Kevin McGonigle, Detroit is dedicated to keeping its best players around.
President of Baseball Operations Scott Harris recently revealed that the franchise will participate in free agency but will not build their 2027 roster based on it, meaning the current Detroit Tigers have the chance to flourish with the franchise they've always known.
With McGonigle locked up for several seasons and many years of control on a handful of players, the Tigers have a clear player who deserves a contract extension this offseason over his teammates.
Why the Tigers Should Extend Riley Greene
Riley Greene has emerged as a key offensive player for Detroit since his debut. He is a three-time All-Star who demonstrates the ability to adapt and learn from his mistakes. His consistent presence on the field for nearly every game makes Greene a superstar whom the Tigers need to build around.
Take the adjustments he made from 2025 to 2026. Greene struck out 201 times in 2025, leading all of Major League Baseball. While he hit 36 home runs last season, the strikeouts held him back. In 2026, Greene lowered his strikeouts to 157, striking out less than once per game on average in a 162-game stretch.
He set new career highs in doubles (32), OBP (.370), OPS (.844) and OPS+ (135) all while hitting 21 home runs, a .280 batting average and driving in 75 RBIs. While Detroit may not deem captains, Greene has proven crucial to this Tigers lineup, which was evident when he went down in August with an injury.
Between Aug. 13 and Sept. 2, when Greene was on the injured list, Detroit went 5-15 without the All-Star outfielder in the lineup, resulting in the Tigers falling out of the AL Wild Card and AL Central division race.
Scott Harris was asked whether the front office would prioritize a contract extension for No. 31 in his end-of-season assessment press conference alongside manager A.J. Hinch and his response didn't close the door on the opportunity.
"Riley is an incredible player," Harris said.
"He's a huge part of our team. The presence that he has in the middle of our lineup is one of the engines that make our offense go. I know it's really annoying, but I'm going to stay with the the policy of not talking about extensions publicly until they're done."
That's not a no. Greene is under team control for the next few seasons and will become a free agent in 2029.
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Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.