Scott Harris has already made the Tigers’ offseason sound like a place where splashy moves probably won’t live. He made it clear before winter really even got going that he doesn’t want to trade away young-player development for pricey free agents. For Detroit, that could mean a quiet winter, with the looming lockout only adding to the possibility that not much happens.
That said, the Tigers do have some real roster decisions in front of them. Gleyber Torres is leaving the offense, and Matt Vierling could be a non-tender candidate. Moving on from Vierling would mean giving up one of the utility pieces Detroit has long valued for his defensive versatility, but there may be a cleaner replacement sitting in free agency.
That name is Mauricio Dubón.
Dubón is set to hit the market after the Braves’ postseason run, and he’d bring a low-cost option to a Tigers team that should at least look into him. He made $6.1 million in his final year of arbitration eligibility and just turned in one of the best regular seasons of his career in Atlanta, finishing with career highs of 12 homers and 73 RBI.
The defense is what really makes him stand out. Dubón is a two-time Gold Glove winner as a utility player, and he reinforced that reputation with an incredible leaping play in Game 3 of the NLDS to rob Freddie Freeman of a homer. Over the course of his career, he has played every position except catcher.
The free-agent pool is thin this year, so the case for Dubón isn’t unique to Detroit. But if Vierling is gone by November, Dubón looks like a strong fit for what the Tigers would be trying to replace.
He wouldn’t be asked to fill Torres’ offensive spot directly; instead, he’d add to the roster in the kind of way Harris has always emphasized. He also offers a better defensive bet than Vierling and is coming off a career-best offensive season.
For a Tigers front office that has been telling everyone to expect restraint, that may be enough reason to keep Dubón on the list.
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Riley Greene Just Gave Tigers Fans A Reason To Celebrate
Riley Greene has given Tigers fans plenty to feel good about all season, and now the outfielders work at the plate is getting a formal nod. Greene has been nominated for the Hank Aaron Award, which recognizes the best offensive performer in each league, a sign of how much his bat has meant to Detroits lineup during a year when the club has been trying to keep building momentum.
Greenes nomination stands out in a busy stretch around the league, with postseason races, roster moves and injury updates all jockeying for attention. It also adds another notable item to a Tigers conversation that has already included Justin Verlanders recent retirement and shift to MLB Network as an analyst, but for Detroit the bigger takeaway is simpler: one of its core young hitters is drawing national recognition for the kind of production that can shape a teams future. [Read more 🡒]
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Still, theres a reason some around the game think Detroit may be extra careful about spending. MLB insider Ken Rosenthal pointed to the weight of the Javier Baez contract as a possible factor in how aggressively the Tigers move this winter, given the uneven return theyve gotten over five seasons. The same broader conversation includes the clubs major deal for Framber Valdez, which has gotten off to a tough start but is still viewed as the kind of commitment that could age better than the Baez agreement if the Tigers get the payoff they were hoping for. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Can't Fix This Roster Until Scott Harris Solves One Problem
The Tigers offseason checklist starts in the same place their late-season frustration did: the bullpen. Detroit finished with 32 saves and 32 blown saves, a split that tells the story of a relief group that rarely made life easy in the ninth inning. President of baseball operations Scott Harris has already acknowledged the roster lacks depth, and with a club option on Kenley Jansen sitting there, the front office has a real decision to make before it can even get to the bigger roster questions.
Scott Harris does not need to overhaul the whole relief corps to make a meaningful upgrade, but he does need one arm he can trust when games get tight late. A dependable late-inning reliever has to be near the top of the Tigers winter priorities, whether that comes through the market or by declining to lean on the current option. Free agents such as David Bednar fit the type of target Detroit figures to examine, even if there is no indication negotiations have started yet. [Read more 🡒]