LAS VEGAS - Scott Harris didn’t leave much mystery about where the Tigers want to spend their energy as free agency opens up.
Pitching is still the mission, and the bullpen sits at the front of the line.
On Tuesday, Nov. 10, during the first day of the general managers meetings at Aria on the Strip, the Tigers president said the club is looking hard at adding swing-and-miss relief help, along with a steady veteran presence who can handle hitters from both sides. Harris spent nearly an hour with reporters and made clear the bullpen is the area he wants to strengthen first.
“We want to add more swing-and-miss in the back end of our pen. We want to add like a stable veteran presence who can get righties out and get lefties out and add a little more leadership to our clubhouse,” Harris said Tuesday in a conversation with reporters that lasted nearly a full hour. “If we can find that, that’d be great.”
That need was hard to miss in 2026. The Tigers’ bullpen finished in the bottom 10 in Major League Baseball in strikeouts, and the group blew 32 of 64 save chances. That played a major role in a 76-86 season and a finish that kept Detroit out of the postseason for the first time since 2023.
Harris said the answer does not have to be a traditional closer, sticking with the approach he has long shared with manager AJ Hinch.
“My job is just to fill the roster with really good arms,” said Harris, “and let AJ sort it all out.”
The Tigers also don’t currently have a pitcher on the roster who had more than two saves for them last year. Will Vest had two saves, but his 2026 season was derailed by struggles on the mound and health issues, including hip and elbow surgeries.
Detroit already moved on from one veteran late-inning option. The team declined Kenley Jansen’s option after an uneven 2026 season that fell short of expectations after he signed for $11 million.
Jansen still posted a 3.20 ERA and 1.044 WHIP, and his strikeouts per nine innings climbed to 10.2 from 8.7 in 2025. But the warning signs were there, especially his 4.6 walks per nine innings and 4.46 FIP.
He also allowed more home runs and gave up some costly ones.
Kyle Finnegan is still in the picture after signing a two-year, $19-million deal last offseason, but he had a rough 2026 and finished with a 1.665 WHIP. Harris acknowledged that the organization does not have the kind of minor-league depth it wants at the back end of the bullpen, which means the Tigers may need to look outside the system to fix it.
“So we’re going to have to find different acquisition avenues to add to our ‘pen right now,” Harris said.
If Detroit goes after a closer-type arm, David Bednar, 32, and Raisel Iglesias, 36, are among the top names available. Another route could be Bryan Abreu, 29, a right-hander coming off a down 2026 who might fit on a shorter deal. Hinch knows Abreu from their time together with the Houston Astros.
The Tigers did get a few encouraging bullpen performances in 2026. Drew Sommers was one of the bright spots, and Jacob Waguespack, acquired in a June trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, posted a 1.3 WAR before recently re-signing for 2027 on a one-year, $1.3-million deal.
Burch Smith also had his moments. Still, Harris said the organization is not yet where it wants to be in terms of homegrown relief depth.
“Longer term, we want to be able to produce homegrown bullpens that can pitch together, stay together, and get better together,” Harris said. “I think we’re well on our way to doing it, but this offseason we’ve got to find a way to add to our ‘pen externally because the homegrown arms we’ve been trading for, drafting, developing, haven’t all gotten there.”
Drew Anderson, signed last winter, is back for 2027 after the Tigers picked up his $10-million option. But he looked more comfortable as a starter than a reliever last season.
Even with a rotation that already includes Framber Valdez, Troy Melton, Keider Montero, Anderson, Jackson Jobe and River Ryan - acquired in the Skubal trade - plus Reese Olson expected back after missing the entire 2026 season following shoulder surgery, Harris left the door open for more starting-pitching help. Any additions there would likely be short-term moves rather than long-term commitments.
“We like the group of young starters that are coming up through the minor leagues,” Harris said. “We also like the young starters that are in the big leagues.
“We’ve gotta make sure we build the right bridge between those two groups.”
The Tigers’ offseason plans are unfolding as MLB free agency is expected to accelerate before a possible lockout when the Collective Bargaining Agreement expires at 11:59 p.m. Dec.
- Once that happens, team-player negotiations would stop, and there has been no sign the sides are any closer to a deal.
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