The Tigers’ 2026 season has already gone off the rails, and the trade deadline only made the reset feel more real. Detroit entered the year as the clear favorite in the American League Central and a club expected to chase its first World Series since 1984, but injuries and a brutal May sent it tumbling from first place to last. At the deadline, Scott Harris chose to sell, and the biggest shock was the departure of two rotation anchors, including arguably the best pitcher in baseball.
Tarik Skubal went to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a package of prospects, while Casey Mize landed with the San Diego Padres for additional minor leaguers. Those moves raised eyebrows, but they also signaled what Harris was after: stockpiling the farm system and setting Detroit up for the future.
That future could arrive quickly. A few of the players who made it through deadline day may not be back once the offseason hits, and not necessarily because they’re on the trade block. In some cases, the money simply won’t line up with what Detroit wants to spend when younger, cheaper options are waiting in the wings.
Kenley Jansen looks like the first name on the way out. On paper, the move made plenty of sense: a proven closer, a bullpen boost, and a veteran chasing his 500th career save, needing just 24 more when he arrived after a strong 2025 with the Angels, where he posted a 2.59 ERA and 29 saves.
But the fit has fallen apart. In 38 games with Detroit, Jansen has a 4.19 ERA and the second-highest WHIP of his career, and his walk rate is already climbing to the highest mark he’s had as an MLB closer.
His one-year, $11 million deal came with a 2027 club option, but the Tigers are likely to decline it. It simply hasn’t worked.
Gleyber Torres is another player who may have played his last game in a Detroit uniform, and the issue here is cost. Plenty of believers still see him as the kind of veteran bat that can stabilize second base for the long haul, and there’s no question he has the résumé to back that up.
But Torres is the fourth highest-paid second baseman in baseball at a little over $22 million this season, and his production hasn’t matched that level. Injuries have limited him to fewer than half the games, and he’s already missed more than 50 this year.
He was also on the trade block at the deadline, and it’s hard to see Detroit meeting his price at age 30.
The Tigers could get creative if they want to keep the position covered. McGonigle could slide to second, Bryce Rainer could be called up as the shortstop of the future, and Max Anderson could also get a shot at second. That’s the upside of having a loaded farm system.
Kerry Carpenter’s future feels just as uncertain, even if the reaction from fans would be loud. Since breaking in with Detroit in 2022, he’s become a favorite for his clutch home runs and upbeat presence.
But staying on the field has been the constant problem. He has never played a full major league season, with 130 games last year and 118 the year before serving as his high-water marks.
Beyond that, it’s usually been one injury issue after another.
When he’s healthy, Carpenter can be a 30-home run bat as an outfielder or designated hitter. The problem is that the healthy stretches keep getting interrupted.
Detroit could bring him back through arbitration, and there’s still value in keeping a productive left-handed bat around. But with young outfielders rising through the system, Harris may decide Carpenter just isn’t worth the commitment.
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