The Detroit Tigers’ winter shopping list should start with a simple warning label: don’t build the bullpen on hope.
That’s the mistake Detroit has to avoid this offseason - stacking relief roles around pitchers whose value depends on a comeback, a fix, or a bounce-back that hasn’t fully arrived yet. The Tigers can absolutely benefit from developing arms, but that kind of plan only works if the 2027 relief corps can hold together while those improvements are still taking shape.
Scott Harris put the issue plainly in MLB’s year-end report: "I didn't build enough depth into this roster this year," he said.
That line should shape how Detroit spends. Free agency needs to add pitchers who can take real innings right away, because a bullpen gets shaky fast when too many jobs hinge on recovery from injury, sharper command, or a redesigned pitch. One setback, and the whole structure starts sliding into roles nobody planned for.
Kyle Finnegan is a useful reminder of how slippery relief pitching can be. The Tigers re-signed him for two years and $19 million before the 2026 season, after he gave them a strong first impression following the 2025 trade deadline. In 18 innings with Detroit that year, he posted a 1.50 ERA, struck out 23 and walked four.
But the follow-up told a different story. Finnegan finished 2026 with a 4.30 ERA over 60 2/3 innings, with 47 strikeouts and 34 walks, according to Baseball Savant. That swing alone shows why a short hot streak can’t be the whole argument for the next bullpen addition.
Detroit should be looking deeper than one good month, one velocity uptick late in the year or one mechanical tweak that looks encouraging on paper. Those things matter, but they don’t settle the question. The real test is whether a pitcher’s recent body of work says he can actually handle the role the Tigers are asking him to fill.
The same standard should apply to the group as a whole. A few reasonable gambles can look smart individually and still leave the bullpen fragile if every one of those pitchers needs something to go right before he can be trusted in important innings.
That’s especially true because Detroit already has health issues baked into the picture. Will Vest and Burch Smith both finished 2026 recovering from surgery, according to MLB’s injury tracker.
So the Tigers have to count those absences honestly when they decide how much outside help is required. A projected return is not the same thing as a pitcher who is actually available and ready to do the job.
Harris also outlined a longer-term path in which more starting-pitching depth eventually creates more bullpen options, as Bless You Boys reported after his year-end press conference. That approach may help the organization down the line, but it doesn’t solve the immediate problem. The 2027 roster still needs arms that are ready now.
That means Detroit should prioritize free agents with a real recent workload, usable command and a legitimate way to get hitters out from both sides of the plate. Medicals matter.
Underlying performance matters. Nothing here guarantees a signing will stay healthy or perform.
Still, the Tigers should be willing to pay for reliability when the fit makes sense. Saving a little on the contract does not help much if the result is an empty inning and another pitcher forced into a job he isn’t ready for.
Once that foundation is in place, Detroit can take a cheaper shot on a rebound candidate. That kind of move can make the staff better. It just can’t be the thing the bullpen depends on.
The Tigers can keep trusting their development system. They also need to buy help for the roles they can’t yet fill with confidence. The mistake this winter would be confusing the possibility of a turnaround with the reality of a bullpen that can survive the usual bumps.
In Other News...
Tigers Suddenly Have A Real Troy Melton Worry
Troy Melton had given the Tigers every reason to believe they were looking at a homegrown starter worth building around. Over 20 starts in 2026, he emerged as one of the more encouraging arms in the organization, the kind of young pitcher who can change the tone of a rotation if the progress holds.
Now the focus has shifted from what Melton can become to what his right arm will allow. Recurring inflammation and fatigue pushed him onto the 15-day injured list and ended his season early, leaving Detroit with a much less comfortable outlook than it had just a few weeks ago. For a club trying to piece together its pitching future, the real concern is no longer just losing him for the stretch run, but what this means for his health and the rotation plans that were starting to take shape around him. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Pitching Depth Suddenly Looks Much More Real Than Last Year
The Tigers have spent plenty of time talking about building from within on the mound, and this years minor league crop is making that sound a lot more credible. Jake Miller, Lucas Elissalt, Ben Jacobs and Kash Mayfield all figure into the organizations pitching conversation in different ways, with the farm system offering a mix of performance, upside and scouting intrigue that was not nearly as easy to point to a year ago.
What stands out now is not just the list of names, but the fact that there is real depth behind them, enough to keep the Tigers looking closely at roles, health and long-term fit. There is also an added wrinkle if a work stoppage ever narrows the action to minor league games, because that would put even more attention on who is actually ready to matter. For a club trying to stock its future in a sustainable way, that is a meaningful shift. [Read more 🡒]
Max Clark Is Suddenly Central To A Tigers Debate That Matters
The Tigers have spent years talking about building from within, and Max Clark is quickly becoming the kind of homegrown player who can turn that idea into a real roster strategy. With the organization weighing how aggressively to secure its young talent early, Clarks name has moved to the center of a broader conversation about how Detroit might handle its next wave of core players, including Kevin McGonigle. It is the same kind of debate that other clubs have already faced when a promising prospect starts looking less like a future piece and more like a foundational one.
A possible extension for Clark would not be a small commitment, either, with the discussion pointing toward something in the neighborhood of an eight-year deal worth around $140 million if the Tigers choose to move early. The appeal is obvious: lock in elite upside before the price climbs and give the franchise a clearer path to building around its own talent. For a team trying to establish a durable base, the question is not just whether Clark is worth it, but how far Detroit wants to go in making that kind of bet on its young core. [Read more 🡒]