Tigers Players Most Likely to Be Gone Before Opening Day 2027
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The Detroit Tigers enter the offseason needing to decide which players should leave before identifying every addition they need for 2027.
The Tigers finished 76-86 and missed the postseason for the first time since 2023. Detroit’s roster had already changed significantly when Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize were traded this summer, and additional turnover appeared inevitable.
Seven players stood out as the most likely departures. Justin Verlander’s retirement represented the only confirmed exit. The others remained projections based on expiring contracts, option decisions, arbitration eligibility, age, and roster fit.
Expiring Contracts Put Five Veterans Near the Exit
Justin Verlander: Verlander announced he would retire after the 2026 campaign, making his departure substantially different from the other names on this list.
The 43-year-old struck out six over 5.1 innings in his final Major League appearance Saturday. Unless he unexpectedly reversed his retirement decision, the Tigers would enter 2027 without one of the most important pitchers in franchise history.
Gleyber Torres: Torres became an unrestricted free agent after playing under the $22.025 million qualifying offer he accepted before the year. He could not receive another qualifying offer, leaving Detroit without draft-pick compensation if he signed elsewhere.
The second baseman produced a .260/.364/.363 slash line with eight home runs and 38 RBIs over 96 games, according to the Tigers’ official statistics. Two oblique injuries limited his availability, while the lack of power made another expensive short-term agreement difficult to justify.
Torres still reached base consistently, but the Tigers needed opportunities for Kevin McGonigle, Hao-Yu Lee, Colt Keith and John Peck. A reunion remained possible at the right price, although the combination of cost, injuries and Detroit’s crowded infield made a departure more likely.
Jack Flaherty: Flaherty completed the second year of his contract by throwing two scoreless innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates. That appearance left him with a 3-8 record, a 4.48 ERA, and 88.1 innings across 20 appearances, including 19 starts.
The right-hander missed more than two months with right flexor inflammation. Although his abbreviated return gave him a healthier conclusion, Detroit would assume considerable risk by giving another multi-year contract to a pitcher who struggled to remain available.
Flaherty could still provide rotation depth, but the Tigers might prefer to redirect that money toward a healthier starter or another offensive upgrade.
Tyler Kinley and Burch Smith: Detroit signed Kinley for the remainder of the year after the Atlanta Braves released him in August. The veteran stabilized his performance after joining the bullpen, but his short-term agreement did not guarantee him a role beyond 2026.
Smith represented an even clearer departure candidate. The 36-year-old joined the organization on a minor league contract, reached the Major Leagues, and later spent significant time on the injured list. Both relievers were scheduled to become free agents, according to the Detroit Free Press roster breakdown.
The Tigers could bring either pitcher back on another modest contract. However, a bullpen that struggled throughout the year needed more substantial changes than retaining every veteran depth option.
Options and Arbitration Could Create More Turnover
Kenley Jansen: Jansen’s contract contained a $12 million club option for 2027 with a $2 million buyout.
Exercising the option would effectively cost Detroit an additional $10 million because the buyout was already guaranteed. Jansen would also pitch at 39 during the 2027 campaign.
The closer remained capable of handling important innings, but the Tigers needed greater flexibility while rebuilding their bullpen. Declining the option would allow the club to distribute those resources among multiple relievers instead of committing another eight-figure salary to an aging closer.
Detroit could theoretically decline the option and negotiate a less expensive agreement. Jansen would also have the right to test the market, making his return far from certain.
Zach McKinstry: McKinstry presented a different roster-construction question because the Tigers controlled his rights through arbitration rather than a guaranteed contract.
The utility player earned $4.2 million in 2026 after reaching an agreement to avoid arbitration, according to MLB.com. He then finished with a .199/.288/.294 slash line, a dramatic decline from his All-Star and Silver Slugger performance one year earlier.
McKinstry’s defensive versatility retained value, and Detroit could keep him as an experienced reserve. His projected arbitration raise, age and reduced offensive production nevertheless made him a trade or non-tender candidate.
The Tigers also had younger players competing for opportunities at second base, third base and in the outfield. Paying McKinstry more to occupy a reduced role might not represent the best use of a roster spot.
Drew Anderson remained the most notable borderline case outside this group. His $10 million club option carried risk, but a 3.67 ERA across 108 innings gave Detroit a stronger reason to retain him than Jansen or the unrestricted free agents.
Verlander remained the only certain departure. Torres, Flaherty, Kinley and Smith could negotiate new contracts, while the Tigers controlled the decisions involving Jansen and McKinstry.
The most likely outcome was still a roster with fewer short-term veterans, a younger infield, and a substantially different bullpen. After a 76-86 finish, continuity alone would not solve Detroit’s problems.
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Alvin Garcia is a Puerto Rico-born sportswriter and U.S. Army veteran. He has covered Major League Baseball since 2022, producing breaking news, game coverage, analysis, roster stories and player features for national and team-focused publications. His previous work has appeared at Heavy, The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, Yardbarker, and FanSided. Garcia brings a data-informed, fan-focused approach to his coverage.