Detroit Tigers Haven’t Moved Needle As Much as Anticipated This Offseason
The Detroit Tigers were a team that many people were keeping a close eye on coming into the MLB offseason.
Their unprecedented from August through the end of their campaign, which ended up being the ALDS against the Cleveland Guardians, led to a change in how they would handle things in free agency.
They operated as sellers ahead of the trade deadline in July, and rightfully so, as the playoffs didn’t seem attainable. After the scorching hot finish, they are ahead on their rebuild plans and were looking to make some additions to move further up the American League pecking order.
There are a lot of excellent pieces already in place, headlined by Cy Young Award winning ace, Tarik Skubal. Several impressive bullpen arms emerged as manager A.J. Hinch looked to eat up innings when his star wasn’t on the mound.
In the lineup, the Tigers have a lot of building blocks, headlined by breakout left fielder Riley Greene. A true two-way star, there are some analysts who believe he is in for a major jump in production in 2025.
Several other young players, such as Parker Meadows, Colt Keith, Trey Sweeney, Jace Jung and Kerry Carpenter, provide a lot of optimism for the upcoming season and beyond.
There is even more help coming in the near future with star prospects such as pitcher Jackson Jobe and outfielder Max Clark.
However, that doesn’t change the fact that this offseason has been somewhat underwhelming for the franchise. Only two MLB free agents have been signed; second baseman Gleyber Torres and starting pitcher Alex Cobb.
It is fair to question just how much either of them will move the needle, as both agreed to one-year, $15 million deals.
That has resulted in Jim Bowden of The Athletic giving them an underwhelming “C” grade for their offseason work thus far. Bowden noted that Torres will bring offense but his glove is underwhelming. He also indicated that the Cobb signing was "extremely risky" given his injury history.
Detroit was never going to buy at the top of what turned out to be an incredibly expensive starting pitching market. But there were less risky options available than Cobb, who managed to make only three starts in 2024 because of several injuries.
Torres is a worthwhile risk as a rebound candidate, but second base was not a problem for the team in 2024. He brings much-needed power to the lineup but his shaky defense at the keystone is worth keeping an eye on.
Overall, the Tigers made calculated additions on the fringes. If they carry over the momentum into 2025, they can be aggressive on the trade market seeking upgrades to finish the campaign strong.