Detroit Tigers Will Have To Beat Out Milwaukee Brewers for Veteran Free Agent
Since the MLB trade deadline over the summer, the Detroit Tigers have done a complete 180-degree turn when it comes to their game plan with the roster.
In July, as they were on the outside looking in on the playoff race, they were sellers, trading away multiple veteran players. Fast forward to today, they are buyers after an unprecedented run, overcoming a double-digit deficit to earn a playoff spot.
Looking to keep that positive momentum going, they are going to try and add players to the mix to help raise the team’s floor and ceiling. One thing they need for sure is an infusion of power to the lineup.
Scoring runs was a struggle at times for the Tigers last season. They were in the bottom half of the league in most offensive categories and in seven postseason games, they managed to score only 21 runs, getting shut out twice by the Cleveland Guardians.
The front office has the ability to spend, but it will be interesting to see just how aggressive the team gets. There is a lot of young talent on the roster and move coming down the Minor League pipeline in the near future.
It will be a delicate balancing act to improve the roster in the present, but not block the development of future contributors. Targeted, short-term spending is how Bradford Doolittle of ESPN put it, and that approach makes a lot of sense.
Someone such as veteran Paul Goldschmidt would fit that bill.
After spending six seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, he is hitting the open market. There has been a steep decline in his numbers since winning the MVP award in the 2022 season, but he would bring a lot to the table that Detroit needs.
A .414 slugging percentage is the lowest he has recorded in his career, but he did still hit 22 home runs last season with 33 doubles. Goldschmidt is still hitting the ball hard with an average exit velocity of 91.2 MPH and a hard hit percentage of 49.8 percent, both well above the league average of 88.4 MPH and 38.8 percent, respectively.
With a little bit of luck, his numbers could bounce back a little more. It was an impressive feat getting his slash line up to .245/.302/.414 as his numbers were a woeful .199/.284/.278 through mid-May.
MVP-caliber seasons are likely behind him, but he still mashes left-handed pitching, making him at the very least a good platoon player. With how strongly he finished the season, as his numbers improved every month from June through the end of the regular season, he could make for a nice buy-low candidate this offseason.
However, the Tigers are going to face some competition for him. There is one National League squad, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, who is pushing to sign him; the Milwaukee Brewers.
“The Brewers would love to find a way to get former Cardinals All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt on their roster, and would have been all-in if first baseman Rhys Hoskins had opted out of his contract.”
It will be interesting to see what kind of market develops for the seven-time All-Star. It could take a one-year deal with an option to persuade him to come to the Motor City if Milwaukee is going to be as aggressive as Nightengale hints that they are.
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.