The Tigers spent much of 2026 patching holes, and Reese Olson was one of the biggest ones they never got to fill. His season was wiped out before it even started after he underwent right shoulder labral repair surgery on Feb. 2, leaving Detroit without a projected rotation piece for the entire year and pushing his MLB ETA to 2027.
That absence hit even harder because Olson had already started to carve out a real place in the Tigers’ plans. Acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for left-handed pitcher Daniel Norris, he has quietly turned into one of the more dependable arms in the middle and back of the rotation.
The numbers back it up. Since debuting in 2023, Olson has kept his ERA under 4.00 every season: 3.99 in 2023, 3.53 in 2024 and 3.15 in 2025. The catch, of course, is that he still hasn’t put together a full season across those three years.
Now, though, there’s a real chance he becomes part of the solution again. Olson is completing his return-to-play throwing progression and is on track to return to the mound next season, assuming the current Collective Bargaining Agreement expiring doesn’t lead to a lockout.
That matters for a Detroit rotation that could use all the stability it can get. The projected group for 2027 is Framber Valdez, Troy Melton, River Ryan, Jackson Jobe and either Olson or Keider Montero.
Even if Olson doesn’t break camp in the rotation, he still profiles as a useful arm. The Tigers’ bullpen struggled this season, and a healthy Olson would give them another option. When Detroit hit rough patches in May, he was the kind of pitcher who could have steadied things, usually giving the club a chance to win every time he took the ball.
In 53 career starts, Olson has 18 quality starts, an 8.5 K/9 and has held opponents to a .228 batting average. He also doesn’t hand out many free passes, which has helped him post a 1.17 WHIP in his career.
He’s not being asked to be the ace or even the No. 2.
But if he’s healthy, Olson looks like one of the better third- or fourth-starter options in baseball. And if A.J.
Hinch wants to bring him along carefully, Detroit still has an internal answer waiting in the wings.
That kind of in-house flexibility tends to matter in Detroit, especially with President of Baseball Operations Scott Harris. He has shown he likes the players already in the organization, and Olson fits that mold perfectly.
In Other News...
Tigers Linked To Another Rotation Arm As Free Agency Pressure Builds
The Tigers are staring at a familiar offseason question as rotation depth becomes a priority, and Clay Holmes has now entered the picture as another possible answer. After Holmes and Matthew Boyd both opted out of their contracts, the market for starting pitching took another turn, and Holmes in particular figures to draw plenty of attention after working for the Mets and Cubs in 2024.
Detroit has already been tied to ways of strengthening the staff, and Holmes fits the kind of arm that can quickly change the conversation around a rotation if the fit is right. With multiple teams expected to chase him, the Tigers will have to decide how aggressive they want to be as the pressure to add proven pitching keeps building. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Have An Infield Target Fans Will Instantly Debate
A familiar trade-season wrinkle has put a possible infield fit on the board for Detroit, with Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reporting that shortstop and second baseman Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards could be available. For a Tigers club looking at ways to sharpen the middle of the diamond, Lopez stands out as the kind of player who can spark debate fast: a defender with enough versatility to move around the infield and a recent track record that suggests there may be more to like than the surface numbers.
The appeal for Detroit is obvious, even if nothing is close to done. Lopez would give the Tigers another option in a part of the roster that always invites scrutiny, and any move for him would come with the usual questions about fit, cost and what it means for the rest of the lineup. For now, it is more a name to file away than a deal to circle, but it is the sort of possibility that tends to linger when a team is trying to upgrade around the edges. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Bullpen Need Could Put Focus On One Affordable Trade Target
The Tigers bullpen search could lead them to a relatively affordable arm if they decide to shop for help rather than pay a premium. One name surfacing as a fit is Colorado left-hander Brennan Bernardino, who has built a case as a dependable late-inning option with a 2.81 ERA across 74 appearances in 2026 and club control that runs through 2029.
For Detroit, the appeal is obvious: a lefty who can stabilize a relief group without forcing the front office into a long-term commitment. The question is whether the Rockies would move him for a minor league pitching prospect, and whether the Tigers view the price as worth paying once they weigh his fit, value and the kind of bullpen role he could fill. [Read more 🡒]