What a Successful Detroit Tigers Offseason Actually Looks Like

This is a no-brainer given the bullpen troubles Detroit faced in 2026. The Tigers had one of the worst bullpens in modern history in closing games this season, blowing 32 saves. Assuming the team would come through in half of those blown saves, Detroit could very well be in a playoff spot.

The Tigers have a club option on veteran closer Kenley Jansen that they'll need to make a decision on five days after the conclusion of the 2026 World Series. Drew Anderson and Drew Sommers showed they can be reliable out of the bullpen and Tyler Holton continued to hold his own, posting a sub-3.00 ERA.

There will be a handful of free-agent relievers with experience that the Tigers should look to add to complement the bullpen they currently have. It doesn't have to be a big splash like landing David Bednar or A.J. Minter, but bringing in someone with proven success to help the young pitchers out of the bullpen only helps Detroit in the long run.

If they get a deal done for one season, potentially two on a reliever or two, depending on how the season unfolds, they could be trade assets as well.

2. Improving Middle Infield Depth

The middle infield depth has to be addressed this offseason. While Harris and company like to develop their players in the minor leagues to come up and help, the franchise has a serious decision to make at second base.

With Gleyber Torres likely not returning to Detroit, that leaves the everyday second baseman role open. Hao-Yu Lee, Colt Keith, Max Anderson and John Peck are currently in the running for the job on paper.

Lee has proven to be a reliable young hitter at the plate. Keith was mentioned by Harris as playing third, first and second base moving forward, and Anderson is still a question mark, as Detroit will eventually need to add him to the 40-man roster to ensure he's not eligible for the Rule 5 Draft.

Defensively, perhaps the Tigers dip into the free-agent pool to add a player off the bench who can control the bat, such as Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Detroit has one more season with Javier Baez under contract, and he can always help defensively, so long as he stays healthy.

The best-case scenario would be that Hao-Yu Lee takes another step forward and improves his defense, because he has the tools to become an everyday player for this roster.

3. One More Starting Pitcher

The trades of Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize create a new opportunity for the Tigers' rotation to be rebuilt. Jack Flaherty likely won't return, leaving Detroit with Framber Valdez, Troy Melton, Keider Montero, River Ryan and likely a returning Reese Olson.

Anderson did well jumping into the rotation after the trade deadline, so he's also an option should the Tigers pick up his club option for $10 million in 2027. But Detroit needs some more depth on the starting pitching front.

Sure, Andrew Sears and Ty Madden can start a handful of games, but they're likely best suited for the bullpen. Adding an experienced starter, one not as old as Justin Verlander, this offseason could help round out the rotation.

The starting pitching free agency class has a ton of names that should interest Detroit, but don't put it past the front office to make a trade for another young piece for the starting rotation. Perhaps a player like Michael Soroka (who holds a mutual option with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the 2027 campaign) or Tyler Mahle would be options to look at for a back-end of the rotation role.