The Detroit Tigers’ rotation looked like it could be a strength this season, but the picture has changed fast. With next year already looming, the club is staring at a much shakier setup - and if Tarik Skubal walks, the cleanest way to keep the staff from unraveling is simple: keep Casey Mize.
That’s the real pivot point for Detroit. Several starters are headed toward free agency, and Skubal and Jack Flaherty both feel very likely to move on, possibly even before the trade deadline depending on how the next month plays out.
Justin Verlander, meanwhile, seems pretty likely to retire after this year. In that kind of landscape, Mize becomes the one arm the Tigers can’t afford to treat casually.
He’s missed time because of injury, but when he’s been on the mound, he’s looked the part. Mize owns a 2.63 ERA in 12 starts this season and appears to be backing up the idea that his 2025 All-Star year was no fluke.
His name has also surfaced in trade rumors, which makes sense with free agency ahead. But Detroit needs more than just Framber Valdez as a proven, above-average starter if it wants any real stability going into next season.
Valdez and Mize together would at least give the Tigers a credible top two. It wouldn’t be Skubal and Valdez, but it would still be a pairing worth building around.
And the rest of the picture isn’t empty. Troy Melton has turned in a 2.39 ERA in six starts and looks like he could matter in the rotation going forward.
Keider Montero has a 3.39 ERA this year and seems to be settling into his third big league season. Put those two with Valdez and Mize, and Detroit’s rotation starts to look a lot more workable on paper.
That would leave the Tigers with a spring training battle for the final spot, or the option to add a cheap veteran and still feel decent about the group. What they can’t do is roll into next season with Valdez as the clear ace and four mostly unproven arms behind him. For a team that needs pitching to stay competitive, that’s a dangerous place to be.
If the next month pushes Detroit into seller mode, moving Skubal and other likely free agents would make sense. But Mize is the one pitcher who gives them a realistic chance to stay respectable in 2027: affordable, established enough, and good enough to profile as a legitimate No. 2.
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Briceos power is the reason the organization sees a real path for him to help in the majors, potentially as soon as next year. His bat could ultimately fit best at first base or designated hitter rather than behind the plate, which only adds to the appeal if he keeps producing like this once he settles back in. [Read more 🡒]