An Offseason Wishlist for the Detroit Tigers

Well, we’ve made it to the point on the calendar where it’s time to talk hypotheticals for the next few months. Players added, players removed, all of your favorite trade scenarios and offseason targets that will, without a doubt, make your favorite team a World Series contender, right? At least we hope.

The situation and the expectation in Detroit are pretty clear. It’s time to win. The Tigers have made the postseason two out of the past three years and have been building into the type of team that adds significant talent, not only fringe players. We saw this last winter when Framber Valdez was added. You could argue Gleyber Torres falls into this category as well. But, the Tigers need more.

In my opinion, this offseason will tell us everything we need to know about Scott Harris and ownership. Last offseason we saw a glimpse of big spending, but also some stubbornness when they did not make any outside additions to the lineup. After moving off Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize, will the Tigers pump money into the roster or continue to overpay for one-year deals?

Today I want to walk through a few fits that I think could benefit the Tigers. Although you may not agree, in my opinion these are realistic deals that make sense and not just a wish list of the best available players. Before we dive in, let’s first get a clear picture of the Tigers’ payroll situation.

The Tigers’ 2027 Payroll

At this point in the offseason, payroll is a moving number. Arbitration numbers are simply projections, and options have yet to be declined or picked up. Because of the uncertainty around the payroll, I find it best to look at the money that has gone out over the past year and what guaranteed contracts are left to understand where the Tigers stand.

• Money Out (~$103M) – Tarik Skubal $32M, Gleyber Torres $22M, Jack Flaherty $20M, Justin Verlander $13M, Kenley Jansen $9M, Casey Mize $6M

This $103M number will continue to grow as certain players are either released, traded, or non-tendered. For the sake of this discussion, we will not include all of the smaller contracts that may shuffle out, but instead focus on the bigger picture.

• Guaranteed Contracts (~$75M) – Framber Valdez $36M, Javier Báez $23M, Kyle Finnegan $9.5M, Colt Keith $4.3M, Kevin McGonigle $2.75M

• Arbitration Projections (~$41M)

What’s important about the Tigers payroll is that they don’t have a ton of big contracts weighing them down. I think they will be able to fill Flaherty, Verlander, and Mize’s roles on the team internally with much cheaper options.

I won’t go as far as saying they can replace Skubal, but at least there are several quality arms on the roster. The rotation is not a spot where they will need to add a top-end free agent.

Báez and Finnegan’s money will be coming off the books after the 2027 season, with Valdez having a $36M player option for 2028. McGonigle and Keith are the only players signed long-term, but Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson only have one year of arbitration after 2027.

All of this to say that the Tigers have financial flexibility. I don’t see any reason why they could not add a significant player this offseason.

Adding a Righty Bat

When the Tigers were at their best, Gleyber Torres was in the two-hole, balancing a lineup that was often lefty-heavy. With Torres set to hit the open market, the Tigers are going to need another righty bat. Dillon Dingler and maybe Spencer Torkelson are the only righties that are “sure things” to be starters, with Hao-Yu Lee a possibility.

High End Option: Randy Arozarena (OF)

Randy Arozarena has been one of the more consistent players in baseball over the past six years. He’s posted a wRC+ of 120 or better in all but one season and has hit at least 20 home runs and stolen at least 20 bases in each year as well. Hitting the market after a career year slashing .281/.381/.484 with 26 home runs and 26 stolen bases will drive his price up, but not necessarily out of the Tigers’ price range.

The Tigers have a need in the outfield, and potentially at DH, making Arozarena a natural fit. He and Greene have both played left field, with mixed reviews defensively; someone might be better suited at DH. You could also shift one to the right.

A top five in the lineup with Max Clark, McGonigle, Dingler, Arozarena, and Greene in some order is impressive. Clark and McGonigle can serve more as contact hitters that get on base, while Dingler and Greene offer more power, and Arozarena fits in between.

Because he will be entering his age 32 season, I don’t think that Arozarena is going to get any type of mega contract. Let’s call it four years at $20 million to $25 million per season?

I know there’s risk with a player entering the back part of his career, but the Tigers have shown us they don’t mind signing older players. In fact, I think they’d rather sign somebody in this age range at a “discount” than the 28-year-old who wants a bigger deal.

Other Options: Gleyber Torres (2B), Taylor Ward (OF), Ian Happ (OF)

While it doesn’t feel like bringing back Gleyber Torres is the most likely scenario, it’s not out of the question. We’ve seen what this team looks like when Torres is in the lineup, and his offensive profile fits a lot of what the organization tends to like.

I’m not sure if Torres will have to settle for another one-year contract or will get a multi-year offer, but I could see a scenario where he lands back in Detroit.

Taylor Ward and Ian Happ are another pair of options that could help the outfield. Ward had an uncharacteristically strange season, hitting only seven home runs after launching 36 in 2025. He was one of the more selective players at the plate this season, which just felt odd. I know that there’s a more impactful player than what he showed, and he has some experience in right.

Happ is a switch hitter that has been extremely consistent throughout his career in Chicago. He’s going to hit 20 to 25 home runs and walk at about a 12% rate, providing a high floor and a somewhat limited ceiling. I imagine the Cubs will try to keep Seiya Suzuki, which could force Happ to hit the open market.

As much as I’d love to add more infielders to this discussion, there’s just not a ton that makes sense. The dream scenario would be trading for Jeremy Peña and signing him to a long-term deal, but when you consider the cost to acquire plus the cost to sign him, it feels less likely. We simply haven’t seen the Tigers make a move like this in recent history.

Beef Up the Bullpen

I’m sure you can remember the games the Tigers lost due to the bullpen. Blowing late leads was a signature of the 2026 team that needs to be corrected heading into 2027.

Kenley Jansen was not as dominant as one would have hoped, Kyle Finnegan took a step back, and Will Vest missed a large chunk of the season due to injury. A few players had their moments, but the Tigers need more consistency out of their bullpen.

I think this starts with Finnegan and Vest returning to form. Like it or not, they’re going to rely on those two veterans in late-game situations. However, they need to find more answers. Drew Sommers, Jacob Waguespack, Enmanuel De Jesus, and the like cannot be relied on to fill big innings every night.

Lefty Options

• JoJo Romero, Steven Okert

Having Tyler Holton, Brant Hurter, Drew Sommers, Enmanuel De Jesus, Andrew Sears, and Jake Miller on the roster might make the need for a lefty less crucial than a righty. The Tigers have usually carried three lefties, but have not spent much on them in the past.

I’ve liked the Romero and Okert for some time now, but I’m not sure the Tigers will view the need in the same way I do. I would rather have Holton/Hurter as the “second” lefty and a proven veteran with a track record as the “first” lefty, but the Tigers haven’t shown us that’s how they view the role. Perhaps they will change.

Righty Options

• Bryan Abreu, Jason Adam, Jakob Junis, Anthony Bender (trade – MIA), Ben Joyce (trade – LAA)

There are about 15 other names you could add to this list, but for the sake of discussion I wanted to focus on these five.

Abreu is a name that I keep coming back to. A proven veteran with a ton of playoff experience, a clean bill of health, and the type of swing-and-miss stuff that the bullpen needs. His 2026 season was not nearly as good as the years prior, but I’m more than willing to bet on a bounce-back for an arm with stuff like this.

I think the Tigers need to find a way to add more strikeouts to their bullpen. They will find themselves in positions with runners on where they need to lean into a strikeout instead of relying on balls in play, and Abreu helps, even if his command is less than ideal.

For the same reason, I’ve added Anthony Bender and Ben Joyce as trade candidates. Bender’s sidearm release and heavy reliance on breaking balls would offer a unique look out of the bullpen that also comes with a solid track record.

Going after Joyce would be more of a roll of the dice. The Angels are going to be making a ton of changes this year, and I doubt that they will cling too hard to a player who’s dealt with injuries and already came with some concerns. Not only are you acquiring an electric fastball, but you also get a few years of control. Joyce is far from a finished product, but perhaps the Tigers can help unlock something.

The last two names, Junis and Adam, might not come with the same upside but help fill out the rotation. Junis can be a middle reliever who will not flash, but consistently gets outs year after year. Adam has more swing-and-miss and has had an excellent past few seasons, but considering his age, the upside might not be the same. Still, he’d be a welcome addition to this bullpen.

A Character Worth the Risk?

The departure of Gleyber Torres will leave a hole at second base. The Tigers’ flexibility allows them to move players around and fill the position without adding from the outside. We saw that for the majority of the 2026 season when Torres was injured and Hao-Yu Lee emerged to at least become a reasonable option.

What we know is that the Tigers have an infield puzzle that they need to solve, which I wrote about last week in greater detail. Will McGonigle play third or short? Is Báez a starter? Are we at the point where the only position Keith makes sense at is second? Does Lee deserve a full-time role or just a platoon?

One way to answer these questions is by rolling the dice and signing a player like Jazz Chisholm Jr.

I wouldn’t go as far as saying that Jazz is at the top of my list, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested. A three-to-four-win player who adds much-needed speed, some pop, and better defense to a group that struggled defensively and didn’t have the horses to run would change the trajectory of this team.

There’s a non-zero chance that Jazz and his off-field antics force his market to be less than what he might deserve solely based on his numbers. Is someone going to give him the 5+ year deal? I don’t think so. There’s a sweet spot that the Tigers could fall into that would allow them to add him without making a huge commitment. Similar to what we saw with Valdez last winter.

If the Tigers add Chisholm and slot him in at second base, they might be willing to trade a lefty bat – either on the team or in the system – to address needs elsewhere. If they want to add Jazz, they can add a lesser righty bat to the outfield and perhaps move Kerry Carpenter to address the bullpen.

Make a Meaningful Trade

The last item on the wish list will be a bit different from the first two. A more vague yet vast option that not only improves the team, but also proves to the fans that the Tigers are not afraid to trade prospects.

Last winter, there was a fair argument that the bats on the free agent market simply did not move the needle enough for the Tigers to be active. Well, a similar situation might happen this season.

Waiting around for the stars to align for the perfect scenario to become available on the free agent market is not a great idea. Scott Harris has done an admirable job in drafting and has now reached a point where his own draft picks are reaching the majors. 40-man roster decisions are going to become more difficult, and at some point certain players will need to be moved on from.

We’ve seen Harris trade away big players such as Skubal, sign big-ticket free agents like Valdez, but we have yet to see him aggressively acquire an impact player via trade. I’m not saying that he is afraid to do so, or that it’s always made sense in prior years, but this feels like the right time to do it. I could argue last offseason was too, so the room for grace is slim.

The core of this team is good enough to compete. Rounding out the roster while also adding one or two more impactful players is the next step. This might come with some musical chairs that result in an established player being moved, such as Torkelson or Carpenter.

Maybe it’s parting with Bryce Rainer or another top prospect. Adding the prospects from the Skubal and Mize trades allows the Tigers a little more wiggle room when it comes to dealing away from their system. You can’t keep ’em all.

Of course, sitting here and saying they need to acquire an impact player, without an understanding of which impact players are available, is a bit unfair. I get it. However, we see this level of player move every offseason, so I’m sure somebody will become available. Ketel Marte? One of the Astros bats? A proven reliever? Whatever it may be.

It’s time to get a little more aggressive, take a risk, and change this team from just being talented to being threatening.