Detroit Tigers Could Be Suitor For Superstar Cy Young Ace in MLB Free Agency
The Detroit Tigers are heading into the offseason with a renewed sense of aggression when it comes to the additions of potential players who can help the franchise take the next step towards contention.
One of their big areas of concern was starting pitching behind their ace Tarik Skubal. While Skubal was phenomenal all season long and that dominance continued in the playoffs, Detroit didn't have any sort of reliable starting pitching behind him in October especially after shipping Jack Flaherty out of town at the deadline. Flaherty went on to help the Dodgers win the World Series while the Tigers were desperate for a starter, but perhaps the team can make up for it this winter.
With ownership seemingly willing to spend money this offseason, could it be possible to combine Skubal with someone else who is coming off a Cy Young-quality season? Baltimore Orioles superstar ace Corbin Burnes is the top available arm on the market and Mark Feinsand of MLB.com thinks Detroit is a possibility to bring him in and form what would be the best top of the rotation duo in baseball.
"Detroit made an unlikely return to the postseason in 2024, and while the Tigers have an ace inCy Young finalist Tarik Skubal, he’s only under control for two more years before he becomes a free agent," Feinsand wrote. "Adding a top arm such as Burnes would give the Tigers a lethal 1-2 punch atop the rotation, and if they can get Skubal signed long term, the pair would help keep Detroit in contention annually."
The 2021 National League Cy Young winner is coming off another stellar season in his first year in Baltimore after spending the first six years of his career with the Milwaukee Brewers. In 2024, Burnes put up a 2.92 ERA over 194.1 innings. Though his strikeout rate has been starting to decline, he is still among the best pitchers on the planet and just turned 30 years old.
A duo of Skubal and Burnes - assuming that signing Burnes wouldn't prevent the team from extending Skubal with a blank check - would immediately make the Tigers top-heavy rotation among baseball's best and put the team in a spot where they can instantly vault from fun playoff underdog into legitimate World Series contender.
