For the Detroit Tigers, this offseason is less about chasing headlines and more about filling the right holes.
That starts with the bullpen, which was the biggest mess on the roster in 2026. Detroit blew 32 saves, a number that put the club among the worst in modern history when it came to closing out games. If even half of those go the other way, the Tigers might be sitting in a playoff spot instead of spending the winter trying to fix the damage.
There’s at least some structure to work with. The Tigers have a club option on veteran closer Kenley Jansen, and they’ll need to make that call five days after the conclusion of the 2026 World Series.
Drew Anderson and Drew Sommers both showed they could be trusted in relief, and Tyler Holton kept doing his job with a sub-3.00 ERA. But Detroit still needs more proven help.
A few experienced free-agent relievers would make sense, even if the move isn’t a splashy one like David Bednar or A.J. Minter.
The point is to give the young arms some support and, ideally, add pieces that could later have trade value if the season breaks right.
The middle infield is another area that can’t be ignored. With Gleyber Torres likely not returning, second base is wide open.
On paper, Hao-Yu Lee, Colt Keith, Max Anderson and John Peck are in the mix. Lee has already shown he can hit.
Keith was named by Scott Harris as a player who could move between third, first and second. Anderson remains something of a question mark, and Detroit will eventually have to add him to the 40-man roster to keep him from being exposed to the Rule 5 Draft.
There’s also a path for the Tigers to supplement that group with a glove-first bench option. Isiah Kiner-Falefa is the kind of player who would fit that idea, and Javier Baez still gives Detroit one more season under contract, with defense available as long as he stays healthy. The cleanest outcome, though, would be Lee taking another step forward and sharpening his defense enough to become an everyday answer.
On the mound, the Tigers are staring at a rotation that needs fresh construction. The trades of Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize changed the shape of things, and Jack Flaherty likely won’t be back.
That leaves Framber Valdez, Troy Melton, Keider Montero, River Ryan and likely Reese Olson, who is expected to return. Anderson also showed enough after the trade deadline to stay in the conversation, especially if Detroit exercises his club option for $10 million in 2027.
Even with those names, the rotation still needs more depth. Andrew Sears and Ty Madden can make starts, but they may fit better in the bullpen.
Detroit needs another experienced starter, though not necessarily someone as old as Justin Verlander, to help round things out. The free-agent market has plenty of arms to consider, and a trade could also be part of the answer.
Michael Soroka, who has a mutual option with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the 2027 season, and Tyler Mahle are among the kinds of pitchers that could fit the back end of the rotation.
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 🡒]