Thursday’s opt-out wave across baseball gave the offseason its first jolt, but in Detroit the bigger storyline is still sitting on the Tigers’ own desk.
The club has two option calls to make by Monday, and both matter. Drew Anderson carries a $10 million option.
Kenley Jansen’s is at $12 million. One looks like a straightforward keep; the other could tell everyone exactly how aggressive the Tigers plan to be this winter.
Anderson’s case is the easier one. He gave the Tigers solid innings as a swingman after they brought him back from Asia, and he could still fit as a sixth starter - or even a fifth if Reese Olson isn’t ready for Opening Day.
Jansen is a different conversation entirely.
On paper, his season line still looks respectable: a 3.20 ERA over 45 innings with 22 saves. But the six blown opportunities linger, and Tigers fans have already made their feelings clear. The consensus is nearly unanimous that the team should move on.
That decision could say a lot about what comes next for Detroit. Keeping Jansen would suggest the Tigers are comfortable running it back. Letting him go would hint at a club ready to tackle its bullpen issues through the free-agent and trade markets.
There’s also the milestone attached to Jansen’s situation. He is just two saves shy of 500 for his career, a number that would only strengthen an already strong Hall of Fame case.
But sentiment only goes so far. The Tigers are coming off a disappointing season, and $12 million is a steep price for a farewell tour - unless, as the source material notes, you’re talking about Justin Verlander.
Scott Harris didn’t give anything away when asked about Jansen at the Tigers’ end-of-season conference. Instead, he talked up rookie Drew Sommers, who appears to be in line to close.
For Detroit, the Jansen call isn’t just about one reliever. It’s a signal.
Pick up the option, and the offseason starts with continuity. Decline it, and the Tigers are showing they may finally be ready to address what was their biggest weakness in 2026.
In Other News...
Tigers Just Sent An Early Infield Message For 2026
The Tigers added another option to their infield mix by acquiring Tsung-Che Cheng from the Red Sox for cash considerations, a move that gives Detroit a little more coverage at shortstop as the roster picture starts to take shape for 2026. Cheng, a 25-year-old left-handed hitter with some major league experience, fits the kind of low-cost depth piece clubs tend to value when they are trying to protect themselves against injuries and keep the middle infield flexible.
For Detroit, it is the sort of early transaction that rarely grabs headlines but can matter once spring training turns into a numbers game. The deal also gives Boston some breathing room on its 40-man roster, while the Tigers get a player who can factor into the conversation if they need another shortstop option down the line. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Face An Early Bullpen Decision On A Reliever They Revived
Jacob Waguespacks late-season run gave the Tigers one more useful arm to think about as they sort through an already busy offseason bullpen picture. The MLBPAs post-World Series free-agent list included six Detroit players, and Waguespack was among them after joining the club midseason and giving the organization encouraging results in relief.
For a team that spent the year trying to patch together reliable innings, a pitcher who was revived after arriving in the middle of the schedule is exactly the kind of decision worth revisiting. Detroit could look at Waguespack for a major league deal, but with so many moving parts in the bullpen and on the roster, the choice is only one of several the front office has to make early in the winter. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Face One Rotation Question That Could Define Their Next Step
Framber Valdez helped steady Detroits rotation after the midseason trades, giving the club a needed anchor even as some of his underlying pitching numbers slipped over the course of the 2026 season. For a team trying to turn a strong stretch into something more lasting, that kind of stability matters, especially when the rotation still looks like the area most likely to shape how far the Tigers can go next.
The next step may come from outside the organization, with free agent pitcher King emerging as a name worth watching after a strong 2026 season with the Padres. Detroit could use another reliable arm to ease the load in the short term, and how aggressively it pursues that kind of addition may end up telling the story of the winter for a club that knows pitching depth cant be an afterthought. [Read more 🡒]