Detroit Tigers Predicted To Add Veteran Starting Pitcher to Staff in Free Agency
The Detroit Tigers are a team on the rise looking to upgrade their roster brimming with young talent.
It is a change from where the franchise was over the summer when they were sellers at the trade deadline moving on from veteran players. Now, they are looking to add some of those veterans to the mix to elevate their core.
There are a few clear needs that the franchise has that the front office would love to address. In need of some more offensive production, adding an established veteran to the mix would make a lof of sense.
As Andy McCollough pointed out, someone such as third baseman Alex Bregman, who manager A.J. Hinch has experience with from his time with the Houston Astros, would check a lot of boxes.
“The Tigers arrived in October ahead of schedule this year. A reunion between manager A.J. Hinch and third baseman Alex Bregman makes a lot of sense, but the price will be steep and Detroit would like to create runway at the position for former first-round pick Jace Jung.”
It will be a delicate balancing act adding veterans to the mix without stunting the growth of their best young players. It is what the team has to figure out with first baseman Spencer Torkelson as well, who is one season removed from a 31-home run campaign.
Where the team undoubtedly needs help is their pitching staff. Beyond Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, the team didn’t have consistent starting pitching to rely on in the second half.
Rookie Keider Montero showed flashes, but injuries to Reese Olson, Casey Mize and Matt Manning were difficult to overcome, on top of Jack Flaherty being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
That is part of the reason why McCullough has predicted that Detroit will land veteran lefty Sean Manaea in free agency to bolster the rotation.
“The club’s needs in the rotation are the most acute. The team made it to the postseason last year utilizing Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal and a boatload of bullpen games. Detroit could make a commitment to Manaea, who thrived after shifting his arm angle to mimic the other Cy Young award winner in 2024, Chris Sale.”
He was dominant this past year with the New York Mets. After underwhelming seasons with the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants in 2022 and 2023, when he recorded WARs of -0.7 and 0.3, he bounced back in a big way in Queens.
Manaea made 32 starts for the Mets, tossing a career-high 181.2 innings and recording a 3.47 ERA, the lowest of his career in a full campaign. He added 184 strikeouts, which was the second most in a single season.
The arm slot change paid dividends, as he has put himself in a position to land a multi-year deal this offseason. The Tigers are one of many franchises that would love to add him, as he showed top-of-the-rotation stuff outside of a blip on the radar in June.
Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.