Following a disappointing season, the Tigers are expected to spend the offseason looking hard at their rotation, and one name already on the radar is a familiar one from the NL Central.
MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported that Detroit is “showing interest” in left-hander Shota Imanaga, one of several free-agent starters the club is weighing as it tries to reshape the staff. Morosi wrote on X, “The Tigers are showing interest in LHP Shota Imanaga, among other free-agent starting pitchers,”
Detroit’s rotation picture has changed quickly. Justin Verlander has retired, and Jack Flaherty is now a free agent, leaving the Tigers with a clear need to add arms. Behind Framber Valdez, the club does have two young pitchers in Jackson Jobe and Troy Melton, who turned in a 2.76 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 20 starts.
Imanaga, 33, spent the first three seasons of his MLB career with the Chicago Cubs and put together a solid stretch there, finishing with a 3.77 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 112 ERA+ with 174 strikeouts in 174.1 innings across 32 starts in 2026. The former Nippon Professional Baseball standout did give up plenty of damage in the air, allowing 35 home runs this past season.
That profile makes Detroit an interesting fit. Imanaga is a fly ball pitcher, and Fifth Third Park, formerly Comerica Park, is much more pitcher-friendly than Wrigley Field. Some of the balls that left the yard in Chicago could turn into outs in Detroit, though the bigger outfield could also mean more doubles and triples.
A reunion with Tarik Skubal looks unlikely, so the Tigers may have to shop in the second- or third-tier starter market instead. Imanaga fits that lane, and he also shouldn’t come cheap. A deal in the one- to three-year range seems like the most likely outcome this offseason.
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