The Detroit Tigers are entering the 2026 season with more questions than answers-and most of them start with Tarik Skubal. The left-hander has been the centerpiece of Detroit’s offseason, but not in the way fans were hoping.
Trade rumors have swirled around Skubal for months, and the Tigers haven’t exactly gone out of their way to shut them down. Add in a contentious arbitration filing, and the message is hard to miss: the Tigers are being cautious with their wallet, even when it comes to one of the best arms in the American League.
That hesitation is casting a shadow over what should be a pivotal year for Detroit. Skubal, who looked like a budding ace in 2025, still feels like a pitcher playing out his final season in a Tigers uniform. And while his future remains uncertain, the rest of the roster isn’t offering much clarity either.
The rotation, once a strength, now feels thin. Familiar names are back, but there’s little in the way of new blood or proven depth.
Drew Anderson could emerge as a surprise contributor, but banking on that feels more like wishful thinking than a calculated bet. For a team that led the league for much of last season before fading down the stretch, the lack of urgency this winter is puzzling.
Then there’s third base-a position that continues to be a sore spot. Manager A.J.
Hinch recently defended the team’s internal options, pointing to Zach McKinstry’s All-Star nod as a sign that the Tigers might be undervalued at the hot corner. But even with McKinstry in the mix, it’s hard to ignore the uncertainty.
Colt Keith is likely to get a long look, and Kevin McGonigle could factor in as well, but none of them offer the kind of proven production that would quiet concerns.
Detroit had chances to upgrade, including a potential run at free agent Alex Bregman. But whether it was the price tag or the long-term implications, the Tigers chose to pass.
That decision might make sense in a vacuum, but in the context of a roster that underperformed in 2025, it raises eyebrows. The front office, led by Scott Harris, seems to be betting on internal growth rather than external reinforcements.
“Just because a lot of the names look the same doesn’t mean the team is the same,” Harris said recently. It’s a fair point-teams evolve, players develop-but it also underscores just how much Detroit is relying on improvement from within. That’s a risky strategy, especially in a division that’s getting more competitive.
There are still options on the market. Eugenio Suárez, for example, remains unsigned and could provide a steady veteran presence at third.
But so far, the Tigers have shown little interest in making that kind of move. Instead, they’re leaning heavily on the idea that young players will take a step forward-and that last year’s collapse was more of a fluke than a trend.
One area where the Tigers did make a move is the bullpen. The addition of Kenley Jansen brings experience and credibility to the back end, and his presence should help stabilize a group that struggled to close out games late in the year. It’s a smart, targeted signing-but it’s also one of the few notable transactions Detroit has made this offseason.
So where does that leave the Tigers? On paper, they look a lot like the team that faded down the stretch in 2025. And while there’s always a chance that things click-the rotation finds its rhythm, the young bats break out, and the bullpen holds strong-it’s just as easy to imagine a scenario where the team stalls out and Skubal walks next winter.
If that happens, 2026 could end up being more of a reset than a step forward. The Tigers aren’t out of the race by any means, but they’re walking a fine line between patient development and missed opportunity. And as Opening Day creeps closer, the pressure to prove that this quiet offseason was part of a bigger plan-not a missed window-only grows louder.