As the Detroit Tigers inch closer to spring training, the focus is shifting from big-splash signings to savvy depth plays. And while it looks like ace Tarik Skubal isn’t going anywhere - at least for now - Detroit still has work to do if it wants to shore up a rotation that faltered when it mattered most last season.
Let’s rewind for a second. The Tigers finished 87-75 in 2025, good enough for second place in the AL Central, but they limped to the finish line.
A brutal September stretch saw them give up five or more runs in nine of 12 games - a collapse that ultimately cost them a postseason berth. The offense held its own, but the pitching simply didn’t hold up.
That’s why adding another reliable arm before camp opens feels less like a luxury and more like a necessity.
The current rotation has talent. Skubal is the headliner, and rightly so.
John Flaherty and Casey Mize bring experience and upside, while Reese Olson and Troy Melton offer intriguing depth. But if Detroit wants to turn the corner from “competitive” to “contender,” it needs more than just potential - it needs stability.
Enter Lucas Giolito.
Now, Giolito isn’t the Cy Young candidate he once was, but he’s far from washed. After missing the entire 2024 season due to an arm injury, he bounced back in 2025 with the Red Sox and gave them more than they probably expected: 26 starts, a 10-4 record, 3.41 ERA, 145 innings pitched, and 121 strikeouts. His 2.1 WAR was his best since 2023 - a solid rebound campaign, all things considered.
The caveat? He missed Boston’s Wild Card Series against the Yankees with another elbow issue, and that’s where the risk comes in.
Teams aren’t just evaluating his stat line - they’re trying to figure out what version of Giolito they’d be getting in 2026. The good news is that he’s expected to be ready for spring training, and that could make him one of the more interesting low-risk, high-reward plays left on the market.
For a team like the Tigers - who aren’t in the Framber Valdez or Zac Gallen sweepstakes - Giolito could be exactly the kind of move that pays dividends without breaking the bank. He’s not expected to carry a rotation anymore, but he doesn’t have to.
What Detroit needs is someone to slot in behind Skubal and take the ball every fifth day. Someone who can keep them in games, eat innings, and bring a veteran presence to a young staff.
Giolito fits that mold.
There’s also a comfort factor here. Giolito knows the AL Central well from his days with the White Sox.
He’s pitched in these ballparks, faced these lineups, and knows what it takes to succeed in this division. A return to the Central - this time in a Tigers uniform - could be a win-win for both sides.
Of course, Detroit isn’t the only team that could use him. The Nationals, who originally drafted Giolito, have been floated as a potential landing spot.
But there’s some skepticism around how much they’d be willing to spend, especially given concerns about his underlying metrics. While his ERA last year looked solid on the surface, some analysts point to a less flattering expected ERA of 5.06 - numbers that suggest he wasn’t fooling as many hitters as the box score might indicate.
That’s part of the Giolito conundrum. He’s no longer the dominant strikeout machine we saw from 2019 to 2021, when he was in the Cy Young conversation and struck out 228 batters in 176.2 innings during his peak season.
Those days are behind him. But what he is now - a serviceable, experienced starter with something left in the tank - still has value.
The Red Sox haven’t closed the door on bringing him back, though Giolito himself seems to understand the writing on the wall. “I loved it there, and I would have loved to go back,” he said recently.
“I still would, but if you look at the writing on the wall, I don’t think they need another starting pitcher. That’s business, baby.
That’s how it goes.”
Other teams like the Braves could also take a look, especially if they’re seeking back-end rotation help. But for Detroit, the fit makes a lot of sense.
They need depth. They need innings.
And they need someone who can steady the ship when the schedule gets tough.
Giolito isn’t a savior, but he doesn’t have to be. He just has to be solid. And in today’s MLB, where rotations are constantly tested and durability is at a premium, that’s more valuable than it sounds.