It appears that the Detroit Tigers have finally emerged from the ashes of their long and grueling rebuild — and not a moment too soon. Detroit was baseball’s biggest surprise this past season, as the team went from being a seller at July’s trade deadline to knocking off perennial World Series contender Houston in the postseason.
Despite a flawed roster with various holes, thanks to the combination of gritty players, some good fortune and a manager in AJ Hinch who kept everything together, the Tigers found a way to become 2024’s Cinderella team. And now, this offseason provides Detroit a unique opportunity to build off their success and get back to being a powerhouse in the AL Central.
Detroit has quietly developed a handful of talented players at the big-league level, including Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter. Greene is a budding star who earned his first All-Star appearance this past season and is a staple in the middle of Detroit’s lineup. Carpenter has quietly become one of the better left-handed bats in the American League, and while he spent time in ‘24 on the injured list, he posted an impressive .932 OPS with 18 homers and looked very comfortable hitting in the postseason.
But the crown jewel of the Tigers’ turnaround is none other than 2024 AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. Skubal has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since his return from left flexor tendon surgery in late 2023, but his performance skyrocketed last season as he turned himself into arguably the best starter in MLB.
While many wondered during his phenomenal season if the Tigers would trade Skubal, the decision to not move the young star was arguably the biggest turning point of Detroit’s season. And as Skubal continued to dominate in the season’s second half, Detroit continued to win.
Coming off their surprise success in ‘24, the Tigers still have a young and inexperienced roster. The team’s moves this winter should be focused on raising their ceiling while supporting the core pieces on the current roster so they can take the next jump.
From an offensive standpoint, the Tigers were one of the more left-handed lineups in baseball last season. They would benefit tremendously from adding a right-handed bat or two. One of the most intriguing options available is third baseman Alex Bregman. Bregman would bring a boatload of veteran and postseason experience to a young team on the rise and fill a big hole at third. Not to mention, this pairing would give him the opportunity to play for his former manager in Hinch.
The other question for Detroit to answer on offense is what will they do with Javier Báez and Spencer Torkelson? Báez has been a disaster in Detroit and missed most of the second half of 2024 due to a hip injury. Detroit acquired rookie shortstop Trey Sweeney in the July trade that sent Jack Flaherty to the Dodgers, and now Sweeney needs a place to play. Báez will have to at least show that he can hit against left-handers if he hopes to see time consistently next season.
As for Torkelson, he has not lived up to the hype that accompanied him when he was the No. 1 pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. His inability to hit consistently at the big-league level has been a speed bump in the Tigers' rebuild. While Torkelson will likely get one more opportunity to show he belongs in the big leagues, there are possible upgrades on the market. Free agent Christian Walker would provide Detroit with some serious thump and elite defense at first. If the Tigers aren't looking to spend at that level, someone such as Carlos Santana could provide similar traits for much less.
Detroit could also use a few veteran arms to add to their rotation behind Skubal. Detroit's rotation, or lack thereof, was one of the main reasons their season came to an end in the ALDS. They simply didn’t have enough starting pitching for a full postseason series and were forced to go with openers and bullpen games.
The Tigers would particularly benefit from some experience to go with their relatively young rotation. Starters such as Walker Buehler and Sean Manaea could be the type of experienced arms that would fit the Tigers’ needs.
The AL Central surprised the entire sport this year, with three teams reaching the postseason in the Tigers, Royals and Guardians and all three advancing at least one round. Going forward, the advantage the Tigers have over the other teams in the division is their ability to spend. Their payroll for 2024 was $98.5 million, and they have a projected payroll of just $79 million for 2025, which would rank 27th in the league, according to Spotrac. Historically, the Tigers have never been afraid to flex some financial might in free agency or make a big splash in the trade market.
And outside of Báez, who is owed $73 million over the next three years, the Tigers don't have huge financial commitments, and most of their roster is still pre-arbitration. With the retired Miguel Cabrera’s massive contract finally off the books, Detroit has the kind of financial flexibility the organization hasn’t enjoyed in more than a decade.
In his two years with the Tigers thus far, president of baseball operations Scott Harris has been methodical in his approach to building the roster. But after Detroit’s standout 2024 with a team that had some holes, a few key additions this winter could give the Tigers a strong chance to make back-to-back postseasons for the first time since 2013-14.