The good, the bad and the ugly
By Jacob Teets
After finishing second in the AL Central with a record of 87-75 and making it to the American League Division Series despite their September collapse, the Detroit Tigers could be poised for their third straight postseason appearance.
Another postseason appearance is achievable, but the “Gritty Tigs” hadn’t been making the kind of splash this offseason that you would expect from a team who almost (should have) won their division the prior season.
Sure, they brought back second baseman Gleyber Torres and starting pitcher Jack Flaherty for another year, but those were moves that were no-brainers. The biggest move, however, came late in the offseason for Detroit.
On Feb. 4 the Tigers signed former Houston Astros 32-year-old starting pitcher Framber Valdez to a three-year $115 million contract.
Valdez had played for the Astros since 2018 and has been their ace since 2021, having an excellent postseason run during the 2022 World Series where he posted a 1.44 era and struck out 33 batters in 25 innings pitched.
The day after Valdez signed, on Feb. 5, it was announced that Tigers ace starting pitcher Tarik Skubal won his arbitration case. Earning a $32 million contract for 2026 versus the $19 million Detroit offered.
A lot can be said about what’s going to happen with the relationship between Skubal and Detroit, but for now he’s a Tiger.
One other major deal came early in the offseason for Detroit, who signed 38-year- old veteran closing pitcher Kenley Jansen to a $9 million deal on Dec. 17.
Jansen most prominently played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, playing 12 seasons with the team from 2010-2021, making three all-star games and winning a World Series with the team in 2020. He then spent one season with the Atlanta Braves, two with the Boston Red Sox and spent last season with the Los Angeles Angels.
Before his major league career, Jansen was a catcher with the Dodgers high-A affiliate the Great Lakes Loons. Jansen played in Midland as a catcher in 2008 before switching to pitching in 2009.
Detroit has also signed a few relief pitchers to minor league deals with the likes of Bryan Sammons, Burch Smith and Dylan File, but nobody else that will bring an immediate impact to the Major League roster.
Stagnation had been the story of Detroits second half of the season on offense; Detroit is in desperate need of a third baseman. Zach McKinstry had a great start, but after his first All-Star appearance he put up a slash line of a .213 average/.278 on-base percentage/.656 on-base plus slugging in the second half.
The two biggest free agent third basemen on the market were 32-year-old Alex Bregman and 34-year-old Eugenio Suarez.
Bregman is a guy who Detroit unsuccessfully went after last offseason, losing his services to the Boston Red Sox. Missing out on Bregman for a second year feels like a big loss for GM Scott Harris.
Suarez was a Detroit Tiger in 2014, playing in 85 games and hitting four home runs with a .242 batting average before being traded to the Cincinnati Reds for pitcher Alfredo Simón.
Now, Suarez has signed back with the Reds for $15 million and leaves few options left for a replacement at third base. The best available player left at third is former Athletic Luis Urías, and that signing wouldn’t be an upgrade over McKinstry.
If not McKinstry, the Tigers third baseman will likely be Colt Keith. It would be a solid option for Detroit, with Keith being a guy who needs to see more playing time before fans can tell if he has a future in Detroit’s infield.
There’s still time in the offseason for Detroit to make more moves, but time’s running out. If you’re a Tigers fan going into the 2026 season, you’re hoping the lineup can keep up with the rest of the league.