The Tigers enjoyed an incredible late-season surge and rode a strong September to not only an 85-win campaign but a playoff berth that brought them within one game of their first ALCS appearance since 2013. With a bona fide ace in Tarik Skubal and a core of talented young hitters like Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, and Parker Meadows in place, it seems clear that the time has come for the club to be aggressive in supplementing that impressive core. To that end, president of baseball operations Scott Harris highlighted two major needs for the club at his end-of-season press conference: a quality right-handed bat and starting pitching help.
For a club that was reluctant to rely on any starting pitchers aside from Skubal in the postseason, finding rotation upgrades this season should be fairly easy. Adding a bat to the lineup, however, could be a bit more complicated given the club’s current construction on offense. The aforementioned trio of Greene, Carpenter, and Meadows are all outfielders, though Carpenter typically finds most of his playing time as a DH rather than on the outfield grass. The club is also deep in other potential outfield options, such as Matt Vierling, Justyn-Henry Malloy, Wenceel Perez, and Akil Baddoo.
While it’s certainly possible to squeeze a big bat such as Tyler O’Neill or Teoscar Hernandez into the lineup in right field, doing so would be a sub-optimal solution given the club’s deep cache of outfield options. Second base seems like an even more unlikely spot for an upgrade given the club’s six-year commitment to Colt Keith at the keystone, which they made last winter prior to his MLB debut. With a 97 wRC+ overall during his rookie campaign thanks to a .285/.338/.437 slash line in the last three months of the season, Keith certainly seems to have earned another crack at regular at-bats at the position.
That leaves few obvious places where the club could upgrade its offense. Perhaps there’s room for an offensive upgrade behind the plate, and rumors that Willson Contreras could be available as the Cardinals look to reduce payroll this winter would make for an on-paper match. As impressive as Contreras’s 133 wRC+ over the past three seasons has been, however, he’s a lackluster defender behind the plate and is headed for his age-33 season next year. Given that, it’s reasonable to wonder if Detroit would prefer to stick with the defensively excellent (if offensively lacking) Jake Rogers and youngster Dillon Dingler behind the plate next year. Dingler struggled in his first taste of big league action this year, but impressed with a 139 wRC+ at Triple-A this year and could improve offensively as he gets his feet wet in the majors.
That leaves the infield as perhaps the most likely place for the Tigers to find the right-handed offensive upgrade they desire, and free agency figures to play host to a handful of intriguing options should they be willing to spend. Willy Adames would certainly be a substantial upgrade to the club’s current shortstop mix, though adding a nine-figure commitment at the position when Javier Baez is still guaranteed $73MM over the next three seasons could be difficult to stomach. Meanwhile, third baseman Alex Bregman stands out as perhaps the other top free agent infielder and could be a somewhat clean fit for the Tigers if they’re uninterested in holding out a position for 2022 first-rounder Jace Jung, who posted a 102 wRC+ in his first taste of big league action this year but struck out at a 30.9% clip.
There is one other position where the club could clearly upgrade in free agency, and it’s one that would be shocking to suggest a few short years ago: first base. 2020 first-overall pick Spencer Torkelson was a consensus top-five prospect in the game prior to his MLB debut, dubbed virtually from the day he was drafted as a can’t-miss hitter with superstar potential. That hasn’t panned out to this point, however, as his offensive contributions through his third season in the majors have actually been below average overall. In 361 career games in the majors, Torkelson has hit just .221/.300/.392 with a wRC+ of 95. Perhaps that would be acceptable for a player with more defensive value, but Torkelson has generally been a below-average defender at one of the least demanding defensive positions on the diamond to this point in his career, leaving him with just 0.8 fWAR accumulated in his big league career to this point.
Of course, that’s not to say that there’s no reason for optimism regarding Torkelson. Perhaps the most significant factor in the slugger’s favor is his age, as he’ll play next year at just 25 years old. By comparison, rookie first baseman Michael Busch delivered a solid inaugural season (119 wRC+, 2.3 fWAR) with the Cubs this year but is currently just two weeks shy of his 27th birthday. Fellow 1-1 pick Adley Rutschman had just 410 big league plate appearances under his belt on his 25th birthday, a mark Torkelson eclipsed in just the second game of his age-23 season.
It’s also worth noting that Torkelson has managed to deliver quality offense over shorter stretches. Just 13 months ago, MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald wrote about Torkelson’s mid-season improvements at the plate that allowed him to slash an impressive .242/.322/.500 (124 wRC+) with 20 home runs in his final 80 games of the 2023 campaign. A similar late-season surge occurred when he was called back up in mid-August of this year following a mid-season demotion: over the final six weeks of the season, Torkelson hit .248/.338/.444 with a wRC+ of 125.
That type of offense would make him exactly the sort of impactful right-handed slugger the Tigers would like to add if he was able to sustain it over a full season. That hasn’t come to pass so far, however, and Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free-Press recently suggested things could be trending toward the sides parting ways. Petzold noted that “all signs point” to Torkelson no longer being the long-term solution at first base with a possibility that the club changes gears as soon as this winter.
Should the club decide they’d be better off pursuing a more established, reliable bat in free agency this winter, there’s a handful of options worth considering. Pete Alonso, Christian Walker, and Anthony Santander all have first base experience and could help to transform Detroit’s lineup, though Santander’s experience at first is somewhat limited. Alonso, in particular, seems to be a strong fit for the club’s needs if they decide to move on from Torkelson. He’s never posted a wRC+ below 120 in a season and will be just 30 years old next year, offering a consistency that’s difficult to match, and sensational campaigns in 2019 and 2022 saw him flash the MVP-candidate upside Tigers fans were surely dreaming on when they first drafted Torkelson.
Pivoting towards another player at first base would leave the club with a dilemma regarding what to do with Torkelson. It’s possible that semi-regular at-bats could be found for him even with an addition at first base; Carpenter has typically sat against most left-handed pitchers and played more than half of his games in the outfield this year, leaving room for Torkelson to start find frequent at-bats at DH, including starts against virtually every southpaw.
The club might be better off exploring what’s out there on the trade market, however. After all, Torkelson’s youth, pedigree, and impressive results at the big league level in short stretches could make him an attractive change-of-scenery candidate for an up-and-coming team with a hole at first base like the Nationals, or even a more established club with a need at the position like the Astros. If a club was willing to offer big league pitching in return for Torkelson’s services, that would surely be a difficult proposition for the Tigers to turn down if they were already eyeing an upgrade over Torkelson at first base.
cooperhill
Everywhere, worst offensive team to ever make the playoffs .
Lindor's Bodyguard
Bregman and Alonso sure would change the look of this team.
Texas Outlaw
Degroom for Tork straight up! I kid. I am sure the Rangers might think on that but the Tiggers wouldn’t. I’d love the Rangers to get a hold of him though. What about Lowe and Gray for him and a mid-level pitching prospect. Rangers need to shed money and outside of pitching not sure how they would do it.
alproof
I don’t want any of the players mentioned at all, except maybe Santander. I’ve been waiting with bated breath on these Tigers prospects, and well, we saw last season what this team is capable of. Give me Jung Perez Jobe Olson Meadows McGonigle Clark Workman et al. Give everyone a fair shake in Lakeland this spring
Tomas80
This team needs a serious threat at the plate. There is only one (Carpenter) and it’s only against RHP
TJG88
I like Santander too, but Christian Walker would be PERFECT for them. Absolutely perfect, and wouldn’t command a deal beyond 4 years.
JoeBrady
It seems short-sighted to think about replacing Tork and/or Jung. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that, just because they are what you were hoping for, that they still provide value.
Start them both and hope they grow. Upgrade at SS or spend some money locking in the other kids.
Blackpink in the area
Jung hasn’t had a chance yet. Torkelson has and he hasn’t produced. Shortstop is a problem but with Baez and Sweeney they are probably OK. They don’t really have a backup 1b they need help there even if Torkelson still gets opportunities.
JoeBrady
Tork has not produced, but he has 49 HRs in 1308 ABs, so that’s at least something. He had a 107 OPS+ in 2023 and that’s “okay”. And he has the minor league bona fides.
Blackpink in the area
I think you can keep Torkelson around but add some insurance in case he doesn’t figure it out. It’s not just the offense he’s also a poor defender.
TJG88
Moving Malloy to 1B could be ‘insurance’. What about moving Tork back to 3B? His college position…
Blackpink in the area
Contreras is not a bad defender. Most importantly he plays with intensity and passion unlike a lot of players these days. If Contreras is traded it’s because the Cardinals are absolutely loaded at catcher and they want to focus on young players it’s not because Contreras isn’t any good.
Tom the ray fan
Alonso, bregman or Santander.
tammelinb
SS needs to be a priority. Despite the large contract Baez has, the Tigers need to upgrade. Bring Adames back home where he was drafted.
Blackpink in the area
If the Tigers go get a 1b they can use him in the field where Torkelson is weak and Torkelson can still DH if he’s hitting. 1b is also very deep this offseason.
Motor City Beach Bum
Go get Yandy Diaz for 1B. Tork to Arizona for Montgomery (tweak the package on either side). Sign Kim to backup everywhere with Vierling and Ibanez (Sweeney at SS and Jung at 3B) and replace McKinistry. Cut Baez at some point.
moteus
At some point? How about at THIS point?
Blackpink in the area
That would add a lot to the Tigers payroll. Kim isn’t going to sign to be a utility guy. Maybe the Tigers could trade Baez for another bad contract but I don’t know who that would be.
Armaments216
The Angels would maybe take Baez for Anthony Rendon. But most likely Baez just stays in Detroit as the league’s most highly paid utility infielder.
Luke Strong
Javier Baez has single-handedly ruined this team’s chances of success. He was supposed to be the right handed bat they’re now looking for. Let’s be realistic about his $73 million remaining contract, it’s devastating, especially in Detroit, especially for Chris Ilitch- who is a notorious tight wad. There’s no way they’re just going to eat his contract right now. Maeda maybe, but not Javy. I think the Tigers are stuck with bad ownership until Marion Ilitch dies so the kids can get stepped-up cost basis and sell the team. She’s 92, but it’s entirely possible she sticks around for 10 more years. I think it’s a hopeless situation for the duration of Baez’s deal, unless he manages to become the greatest come back player in history (I wouldn’t bet on it though).
For Love of the Game
As Marge Schott said when John Denny blew out his arm after signing a big contract, “Can he cut the grass or something?” Maybe get Baez a push mower and we can cut Comerica’s grass; if he wants a tractor, let him buy it himself with the $144 mill. the Tigers are paying him!
joefriday1948
There is one team which would take Baez and it would be the Rockies. No team makes as many administrative mistakes year after year.
seamaholic 2
Rockies have one of the best young SS in baseball. And their best prospect is also a SS/2B.
The biggest tr0ll
Trade for Yoshida. We will eat most of the contract
TerryTurnbuckle
Torkelson to the Rockies for Kris Bryant makes too much sense. Detroit gets the bat, the versatility, leadership, and four years of control left on his deal. Colorado gets a cheap player who may do well there.
seamaholic 2
Classic case of the small budget mediocrity blues. They need to upgrade their total lineup in the worst way, but they’ve got a guy at every position who is either playable or comes with big prospect cred. There’s no slam dunk cheap place to upgrade, everywhere is expensive.
holecamels35
Yep, I’ve noticed that on other teams too. Guys you don’t want to give up on yet but not good enough to start every day. Sometimes it’s a curse to have the prospect pedigree because it keeps the team from upgrading the position and wishing on the potential.
BigV
Cardinals should kick the tires on Tork if he is available at a reasonable cost.
TJG88
Is moving Tork to 3B even an option? I know he played that position in college.
TJG88
Christian Walker makes too much sense for them:
– Gold glove defense
– power bat
– won’t require 5+ years
– affordable (compared to Pete & Bregman)