Detroit finished 76-86 in 2026 after trading Tarik Skubal to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Casey Mize to the San Diego Padres in August. Jack Flaherty is now a free agent, leaving the Tigers with a chance to add an established starter alongside Framber Valdez.

How Shota Imanaga Would Fit Detroit’s Rotation

Valdez made 31 starts in his first season with the Tigers, and Troy Melton posted a 2.76 ERA in 20 starts. Adding Imanaga would give Detroit another veteran who has handled a full season’s workload and more flexibility to manage the innings of young starters such as Jackson Jobe and River Ryan.

Imanaga’s splitter is the pitch that makes him an appealing target. He threw it about a third of the time in 2026, pairing it with a four-seam fastball that averaged 91.6 mph. Hitters batted .195 in plate appearances that ended on the splitter and missed on 41.4% of their swings against it.