The 2024 MLB season has delivered some memorable moments. It’s soon to come to an end with the Dodgers and Yankees sending us to the off-season once their World Series battle comes to an end.
This season we saw the Detroit Tigers earn a postseason berth for the first time in a decade. The Tigers rolled through Houston and bounced the Astros in the Wild Card round, but the Motor City magic went dry in game 5 of the ALDS in Cleveland.
Although the Tigers’ October run ended a little prematurely, it’s only natural to instantly anticipate big things happening this off-season. What big moves are on the horizon for a Tigers team that will have World Series aspirations in 2025? Only time will tell, but Halloween is approaching, and it’s never too early to try and figure out what treats your favorite MLB team will receive this winter. Detroit should be on the lookout for star power, and if any of the players I name in this article make the move to Detroit, it will undoubtedly give AL Central rivals a fright.
SS Willy Adames
An important chapter to Willy Adames’ story was already written with the Detroit Tigers. You may or may not remember a trade that went down in 2014. Before the trade deadline all those years ago, center fielder Austin Jackson was pulled in the middle of a game when then General Manager Dave Dombrowski dealt Jackson and fellow established big leaguer Drew Smyly to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for left-handed pitcher David Price. We later learned that Adames, who was an 18-year-old prospect in the Tigers organization, was also traded away in that deal.
Adames has come a long way since being traded by the Tigers a decade ago. He’s played seven seasons with two franchises: the Rays and Brewers. This off-season could we see a reunion 10 years in the making?
Bringing back Adames would give the Tigers a much-needed boost offensively. Their top priority this off-season should be ending the Javy Baez experience in Detroit and landing an everyday shortstop or third baseman. For Detroit to take a step forward, I believe it’s absolutely essential to get an established everyday player on the left side of the infield to add to the lineup.
Adames set career highs with 32 home runs and 112 RBIs, and at 29-years-old is still in his prime. To get him here the Tigers owner will have to make his wallet a lot lighter, but as we’ve seen this season, it pays off. The Dodgers and Yankees are perfect examples of that. Though they don’t have to break the bank on multiple superstars, adding a key player or two is what it’s going to take to get the Tigers to the World Series.
3B – Alex Bregman
As I was saying, if the Tigers do not land an everyday SS or 3B then I would consider the off-season a failure for Detroit.
Bregman didn’t put up huge numbers this season, but it would instantly be an improvement for the Tigers’ offense. He slashed .260/.315/.453 with 26 home runs, 58 extra-base hits, 44 walks, and 75 RBIs.
1B/OF – Cody Bellinger
Spencer Torkelson was one of the most disappointing and inconsistent players on the roster this year, so it might not be a bad idea to invest in a first baseman this off-season.
Cody Bellinger would offer some upside while not taking an overwhelming amount of play time from Torkelson. AJ Hinch loves his matchups. Giving him a lefty/righty duo at first base would probably make him pretty happy. Bellinger hit 18 home runs, with 78 RBIs, and .751 OPS in 130 games this season. It will be interesting to see if he decides to opt out and test free agency.
Honorable mention Pete Alonso: the polar bear would provide the Tigers a much-needed spark in the power department. In my opinion, he wouldn’t be the first baseman every day. He would play plenty of time at DH platooning with Carpenter. Alonso would face southpaws, and Carpenter would face right-handers.
RHP – Corbin Burnes
If the Tigers don’t put together the run that they did, there is no way we talk about them making this big of a splash or that Burnes could potentially be in their price range, but they did make the postseason and were strong contenders in October.
Obviously, the Tigers will need to add multiple starting pitchers this winter. If they didn’t, it would be very surprising. What made the Tigers’ run in late August to October even more flabbergasting was the fact that they did it with basically one starting pitcher toeing the rubber in the rotation. After Skubal’s outings, we would see multiple bullpen days. It worked late in the season, but that absolutely would not work for a full season and probably would be unlikely to work again in the postseason.
Jack Flaherty is probably way more likely to sign back with the Tigers this off-season than Burnes would be to come here, but when you have a team that is clearly capable of competing in the playoffs, you should certainly swing for the fences in free agency. The duo of Tarik Skubal and Corbin Burnes would make Detroit front runners to represent the American League in the World Series next season.
LHP – Blake Snell
If Burnes doesn’t get an offer from the Tigers, perhaps Blake Snell is the splash Scott Harris will make for this starting rotation. After returning to the mound following his recovery from an injury, Snell looked brilliant for the Giants in the second half of the season. Snell finished the season with a 5-3 record, 3.12 ERA, 145 strikeouts, and a 1.05 WHIP. He had a bad start to 2024, but with him finishing the season very strong, expect him to opt out and test free agency again.
LHP – Tanner Scott
The Tigers bullpen was very strong in 2024, especially in September/October. Detroit’s pen had the fifth-best ERA (3.55), ranked seventh in saves (45), and second-best WHIP (1.14). Detroit leaned heavily on guys who weren’t necessarily established arms, and the gamble paid off. However, I wouldn’t want to see them bet on pitchers like Beau Brieske and Will Vest to be the same players they were in the final two months of the season. The bullpen has a good foundation, but it could use some star power next season.
Tanner Scott had incredible numbers this season: 22 saves, 1.75 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 84 SO, 36 BB, 72 IP (72 games). He was the most sought-after relief pitcher in baseball at the trade deadline and will be the most sought-after relief pitcher again, this time in free agency. This would be a big splash, and if Detroit could pull this off, they would have one of the most feared bullpens in baseball.
Other highly sought-after relief pitchers the Tigers may take a look at include: Clay Holmes, Jeff Hoffman, Carlos Estevez, and Kenley Jansen.
