DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers don’t have a roster good enough to win a World Series right now, but that could change with a few aggressive moves this offseason.
We haven’t seen the Tigers go big in an offseason since 2021-2022, when they signed Javier Baez for $140 million over six years and Eduardo Rodriguez for two years at $28 million (since he opted out of the final three years, $49 million).
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But now is the perfect time.
This is going to be a “dream” scenario. No, I don’t actually expect the Tigers to make three major free agent signings and a blockbuster trade. But hey, it would be awesome. And the roster is at a place where that type of aggression is justified.
Before we dive in
“Dream” offseason: I just want to reiterate one more time that this is what I would consider a “dream” scenario for the Tigers. Scott Harris likely has a plan that looks much different, and he’s earned some benefit of the doubt. But at some point, the Tigers need to accept that they’ve comfortably reached “contender” status and do what it takes to jump into the pool of true World Series contenders.
CBA expires after 2026: With every move teams make this offseason, there’s an elephant in the room: The current collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2026 season, so we don’t know exactly what the financial landscape of baseball looks like for 2027. Or whether there will even be a season at all. That will definitely a factor into how teams handle this offseason, but since we can’t quantify that now, it won’t be a major consideration in this article.
Free agent salary predictions: For free agent contracts, I used the projections from ESPN MLB insider Kiley McDaniel. Click here to view his ranking of the top 50 free agents, along with their projected contracts.
Tigers payroll for 2026
Right now, the Tigers’ payroll for 2026 is at $48.3 million, according to Spotrac. That includes the $24 million owed to Baez, the $20 million going to Jack Flaherty, and the $4.3 million for Colt Keith.
This currently puts Detroit at No. 19 in MLB. For reference, the No. 12 payroll for 2026 is the Los Angeles Angels, at over $126 million.
Is it unreasonable to ask the Tigers to get up into that range? I don’t think so. The Padres are No. 7 at $158 million. The Rangers are ninth at $149 million. Those aren’t richer markets than Detroit.
Harris has always insisted during his postseason press conferences that when the time is right, he believes Chris Ilitch will pony up the resources necessary to build a World Series roster.
Well, it’s time to find out if that’s the case.
After back-to-back seasons of coming within one play of the ALCS, it’s clear the Tigers should be pressing the gas pedal on win-now mode.
Spoiler alert: I’m going to add three significant free agents to the payroll in this article. Here are the projected contracts for those three players, per McDaniel.
- 5 years, $160 million ($32 million per year)
- 3 years, $57 million ($19 million per year)
- 3 years, $43.5 million ($14.5 million per year)
That would add $65.5 million to the Tigers’ 2026 payroll, putting it at $113.8 million.
Another spoiler alert: This article includes a Tarik Skubal trade. So the Tigers wouldn’t have to pay him the $20 million-ish he’s expected to command in 2026, but they would have to add about $7.8 million for one of the players who returns in that deal.
That puts the payroll at $121.6 million.
A $121.6 million payroll would make the Tigers 14th in MLB. And they would only have one true long-term commitment (and five years isn’t even egregious).
Again, I don’t expect it to happen. But I also don’t think it’s unreasonable. The Tigers aren’t the Rays, Brewers, or Pirates -- don’t let them fool you.
Gleyber Torres qualifying offer
Another key factor in this payroll discussion is Gleyber Torres, who is a free agent. The Tigers made a $22 million qualifying offer to Torres, likely in the hopes that he’ll decline and they’ll get a free draft pick from the team that ultimately signs him.
But Torres could accept that one-year payday and bump the Tigers’ payroll up over $70 million.
McDaniel ranks Torres as the 16th-best free agent in the league, projecting that he could receive a three-year, $57 million deal.
Is that better than one year and $22 million? Torres will be 29 this coming Opening Day. I think there’s a chance he takes the $22 million and tries to get that three-year deal next offseason, which would take him to age 33.
If that happens, it would greatly affect the introduction of Max Anderson to the big-league club. The Tigers already have a bit of a log jam with their current infield and the impending debut of Kevin McGonigle.
A $22 million paycheck for Torres would doom my plan for supplementing the Tigers’ pitching staff with two free agent starters, both of whom are projected to make less than $22 million per year.
Since this is a “dream” offseason, I’m going to hope that Torres declines the qualifying offer. Yes, he had a nice year for the Tigers in 2025, but that money would be a ready-made excuse for the front office to spend less on upgrades.
Tarik Skubal contract situation
This is the trickiest part of my master plan because there are so many moving pieces and conflicting emotions tied to a Skubal trade.
Skubal and his agent, Scott Boras, are not going to sign a long-term contract before he hits free agency this offseason.
So if you want Skubal to be a Tiger beyond 2026, that means you want the Tigers to dish out $50+ million per season for a 30-year-old pitcher (on Opening Day 2027) who had Tommy John surgery in college and a major shoulder issue three years ago.
That came off as snarky. I actually don’t hold it against anyone who wants the Tigers to commit to Skubal. He’s the best pitcher on the planet. And he’s been extremely reliable the past two seasons, making all 31 of his starts in each.
Skubal is also the reason the Tigers were taken seriously this postseason. How many times did you find yourself looking at a series and banking on those Skubal starts as auto-wins? He’s the trump card that makes this team so dangerous.
Nobody should be upset if the Tigers keep Skubal in the Old English D. But let’s not pretend it’s malpractice if they don’t.
There are concerns with paying that much for a guy who only plays every fifth game. There are concerns with committing to a high-priced player into his late-30s. There are concerns with a guy who’s had major injuries to his throwing arm.
My personal belief is that the Tigers will not pay up to keep Skubal in Detroit. I also don’t think this roster is in a great position to win a World Series in 2026.
So with both of those factors in mind, my “dream” scenario is that the Tigers trade Skubal for a package of players who make the team better for 2026 and beyond.
Tarik Skubal trade
A few days ago, MLB insider Jon Morosi made some waves in Detroit by predicting that the Tigers would acquire Jarren Duran.
“I’m going to make a prediction here, Lauren,” he told Lauren Shehadi on Nov. 4 during an MLB Network interview. “Jarren Duran -- I think would be a great fit with the Detroit Tigers. They need maybe a little bit more outfield power. Duran is so athletic. You think about the Red Sox -- Roman Anthony coming back healthy in 2026 for a full season. They have a surplus of outfielders. Do not be surprised if Jarren Duran is wearing the Old English D by Opening Day.”
Trade rumors have swirled around Duran for the better part of a year because the Red Sox have such a crowded outfield. He was top of mind this week because he and the Red Sox had a bit of a strange contract exchange to avoid arbitration.
Boston declined Durran’s $8 million option for the 2026 season, instead buying out that option for $100,000. They then gave him a $7.7 million deal that can get up to $7,775,000 if he reaches 550 plate appearances.
So to recap, they declined an option, paid a buyout, restructured a deal with incentives, and alienated a great player -- all to save $125,000. That’s pennies for an iconic franchise like Boston.
So there seems to be a bit of a disconnect there. Sounds like a great chance for the Tigers to jump in!
With Anthony returning healthy for 2026, the Red Sox are primed for a World Series run, so a Skubal deal makes sense. A duo of Skubal and Garrett Crochet would give Boston the best 1-2 punch in MLB.
Duran has three more seasons of team control, so this would be a win-now and win-later move for the Tigers.
Duran hit 21 homers, 48 doubles, and 14 triples while stealing 34 bases in a breakout 2024 season. His numbers weren’t quite as good last year, but he still had 70 extra-base hits (41 doubles, 13 triples, and 16 homers) while stealing 24 bags and slashing .256/.332/.442.
Even in a down year, Duran nearly posted 5.0 WAR. He’s a solid defensive outfielder and an elite runner who could finally solidify Detroit’s leadoff spot.
Now, Duran is good. But he’s no Skubal. So here’s the full trade I’m proposing:
- Tigers get: Jarren Duran, Payton Tolle, and Connelly Early.
- Red Sox get: Tarik Skubal, Parker Meadows, and Thayron Liranzo.
Tolle and Early both made their MLB debuts in 2025, but did so late enough that they still have six seasons of team control remaining.
Tolle was a second-round pick in the 2024 draft. In his first season of professional ball, he rose from High-A all the way to the major leagues.
Tolle posted a 3.04 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 91.2 minor-league innings, striking out 133 batters compared to just 23 walks.
He struggled in the majors, allowing 11 earned runs, 18 hits, and eight walks in 16.1 innings. He struck out 19 batters, but it was a rocky first taste of The Show.
Tolle is Boston’s No. 2 prospect and the No. 28 overall prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline.
Early is not quite as highly regarded in the rankings. He’s the No. 6 prospect in the Red Sox organization and finished 2025 outside the overall top 100.
But Early was actually better than Tolle at the MLB level this season. In 19.1 innings, the lefty posted a 2.33 ERA and 1.09 WHIP while striking out 29 batters and allowing just four walks.
In 100.1 minor-league innings this season (71.2 at Double-A and 28.2 at Triple-A), Early struck out 132 batters, allowed 40 walks, and had a 2.60 ERA and 1.11 WHIP.
On Opening Day in 2026, Tolle will be 23 and Early will just be turning 24. So these could be two members of the Tigers’ rotation for a half decade.
A Duran trade would likely push Parker Meadows out of the mix for the Tigers, especially since Duran, Meadows, Riley Greene, and Kerry Carpenter are all left-handed hitters.
Meadows never got off the ground in 2025 due to injury, but he’s still a player with MLB value. He’s an elite base runner and defender with potential to hit for some power and get on base. He put up 2.2 WAR in just 82 games in 2024, remember.
Liranzo is the No. 5 prospect in the Tigers’ system and a borderline top-100 prospect league-wide. He struggled at the plate in his first taste of Double-A, but Liranzo is a switch-hitting catcher with good power and on-base potential. And he’ll only be 22 on Opening Day this season.
The Tigers have five more seasons of Dillon Dingler, who won the AL Gold Glove at catcher and also posted a .752 OPS, so they might be willing to part with Liranzo in a deal that solidifies their pitching staff.
Free agent: Alex Bregman
- Projected deal: 5 years, $160 million ($32 million per year).
That’s right: We’re doing the Alex Bregman thing again!
The Tigers were a major player for Bregman last offseason, but he ultimately took a short-term deal in Boston.
Bregman was in the MVP discussion before a midseason injury caused him to miss seven weeks from May 23 to July 11. Overall, he slashed .273/.360/.462 with 28 doubles, 18 homers, 51 walks, and 70 strikeouts in 114 games.
The gaping hole at third base that made the Tigers so interested in Bregman last offseason hasn’t been solved, so it stands to reason they would be interested again this time around.
McDaniel’s projection of $32 million per year seems extremely reasonable for only a five-year commitment. Reports suggested the Tigers offered him nearly $30 million annually over six years last offseason, so this would be more or less the same deal.
Bregman has elite plate discipline from the ride side, something the Tigers desperately need on offense. Harris acknowledged at his postseason presser that the inability to make contact sunk the offense late in the year.
“We need to make more contact as an organization,” Harris said. “We need to move the baseball more in the big leagues than we are. This has been a theme for the last two years. I think there are a lot of players on our team right now that have some swing-and-miss in their games.”
Bregman ranks in the 95 percentile in chase rate, the 92nd percentile in whiff rate, the 88th percentile in strikeout rate, and the 73rd percentile in walk rate. He is the definition of a guy who “makes more contact.”
And he’s right handed. And he plays a position of need. And the Tigers almost signed him last year.
Yes, I think Comerica Park would cut down on Bregman’s home run total. But they can bank on a high OPS, extra-base power, elite defense, and a proven veteran presence.
It’s a perfect match, and there’s really no good reason not to get it done this time around.
Why Bregman over free agent shortstop Bo Bichette? A few reasons. First, Bichette seems likely to resign with Toronto after the run to the World Series. It’s also hard to imagine Anderson or McGonigle playing third base at the big-league level, so Bregman might be a better positional fit.
Free agent: Michael King
- Projected deal: 3 years, $57 million ($19 million per year).
If the Tigers trade Skubal (heck, even if they don’t), they need to add an ace-caliber pitcher to the starting rotation.
Reese Olson, Casey Mize, and Jack Flaherty are solid MLB pitchers, but they shouldn’t be filling out either of the top two spots in a rotation. Since I’m trading away Skubal, I’m signing two free agent starting pitchers this offseason.
King was limited to 15 starts this season due to injury, and for that reason, I think somebody is going to get an ace for a discount this offseason.
In 2024, his first full season as a starter, King posted a 2.95 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 10.4 strikeouts per nine across 173.2 innings for the Padres.
King can get swing-and-miss with his four-seamer, change-up, and sweeper. His most-used pitch is a sinker.
If the Tigers were willing to throw $15 million into the furnace for 35-year-old Alex Cobb, $19 million for three seasons sounds incredible for the 30-year-old King to solidify the top of the rotation.
Free agent: Shota Imanaga
- Projected deal: 3 years, $43.5 million ($14.5 million per year).
McDaniel projects Shota Imanaga to make even less per year than what the Tigers paid Cobb in 2025.
Imanaga struggled with his fastball in 2025, but still managed to post a 3.73 ERA and 0.99 WHIP across 144.2 innings for the contending Cubs.
Imanaga has two elite secondary pitches -- a splitter and a sweeper -- that have both generated whiff rates north of 30% in his two MLB seasons.
The problem with Imanaga in Chicago is that he’s a fly ball pitcher who lives up in the zone with mediocre velocity. That’s a tough way to live in Wrigley Field.
For context, Imanaga has allowed 61 homers in his two MLB seasons. That number would be 63 if all of his games had been played at Wrigley Field, but it would only be 54 if he played all of them at Comerica Park.
He was pitching in a division with three of the best home-run parks in baseball -- Chicago, Cincinnati, and Milwaukee. The AL Central is a much friendlier landing spot for a fly ball pitcher.
Imanaga would give the Tigers a top-of-the-rotation lefty for a few years to help fill a fraction of the void left by Skubal. And the commitment isn’t massive financially or in length.
Prospect promotion: Kevin McGonigle
It feels inevitable that Kevin McGonigle will be in the majors next season, as long as he stays healthy.
The 21-year-old has only played 46 games above A ball, but his production elevated him to the No. 2 prospect in all of baseball this year.
McGonigle slashed .305/.408/.583 across all three levels this season (Single-A, High-A, and Double-A) with 31 doubles, 19 homers, and more walks (59) than strikeouts (46).
That has continued into the fall, with McGonigle terrorizing the Arizona Fall League to the tune of a .387 average, .494 OBP, and .726 slugging percentage with 11 extra-base hits, 13 walks, and 10 strikeouts.
Maybe McGonigle will start the season in the minors to get a taste of Triple-A. But all signs point to him playing for the Tigers sooner rather than later.
Can he stick at shortstop? That’s the biggest question. He’s not likely to be an above-average defender there, but if he can just be fine, the bat will carry him to the big leagues.
Prospect promotion: Max Anderson
You know those incredible Arizona numbers for McGonigle? Max Anderson has been even better.
In 13 games, Anderson is hitting .465 with a .631 OBP and an .860 slugging percentage. His walks (18) double his strikeout total (9) to go along with five doubles and four homers.
Anderson played 32 games at Triple-A last season, slashing .267/.327/.422. That’s after earning a promotion with a .306/.358/.499 slash line in Erie.
Anderson is another guy whose defensive spot on the infield is a little unclear. But the bat plays enough that the Tigers were reportedly reluctant to move him at the trade deadline.
A second-round pick in the 2023 draft, Anderson rose quickly to the top level of the minors, and it seems like he’ll join McGonigle in The Show at some point in 2026.
What does the lineup look like?
A.J. Hinch likes to tinker with his lineups based on matchups, but on a typical day, I’m envisioning a batting order that looks something like this:
- Jarren Duran, CF
- Alex Bregman, 3B
- Kerry Carpenter, RF
- Spencer Torkelson, 1B
- Riley Greene, LF
- Kevin McGonigle, SS
- Dillon Dingler, C
- Colt Keith, DH
- Max Anderson, 2B
The bench would include Baez, Matt Vierling, Zach McKinstry, and Jake Rogers.
Baez and Vierling would likely play against lefties, and McKinstry isn’t going to go from a 2.8-WAR season to the pine, so he’d be on the field plenty, too.
This is a much more balanced lineup than what the Tigers ran out last season. There’s more speed at the top with Duran. There’s less swing-and-miss thanks to Bregman, McGonigle, and Anderson. And it’s a strong left-right mix.
Pitching staff
The starting rotation would take a major hit without Skubal, but the veteran duo of King and Imanaga helps build some depth.
The Tigers would have as many as eight legitimate options for the rotation.
I’d lean toward breaking camp with this six-man starting staff:
- Michael King
- Shota Imanaga
- Reese Olson
- Jack Flaherty
- Casey Mize
- Connelly Early
The Tigers would also have Tolle, Keider Montero, and Sawyer Gipson-Long as options with major-league experience. And don’t forget about Troy Melton and (eventually) Jackson Jobe.
The bullpen would look something like this:
- Will Vest
- Tyler Holton
- Troy Melton
- Brant Hurter
- Beau Brieske
- Brenan Hanifee
- Chase Lee
I don’t love this group beyond the top three, but the Tigers are really good at getting the most out of their relievers, and I think the other parts of the roster are greater needs.
Final thoughts
Maybe the Red Sox wouldn’t accept that Skubal trade. Maybe none of those free agents would accept those deals. Maybe the Tigers aren’t willing to spend that much. Maybe Torres will take the qualifying offer. Maybe the prospects aren’t ready.
There are a million reasons this plan could fall apart because, well, baseball!
But when I think about all the Tigers have accomplished in the last two years, as well as where they’ve fallen short, this feels like it would give them a really good chance to be a well-rounded, competitive team for the next several years.
Harris took a lot of criticism for his handling of the trade deadline, but it would be outrageous to say he hasn’t done a great job with this organization. On top of the back-to-back playoff appearances, the roster has a young core, and the farm system is one of the best in the league.
But Harris still has more to prove. He hasn’t landed the key free agent. Or made the blockbuster trade. We’re about to find out if he’s truly a great president or simply a guy who knows how to build a competitive roster on a budget.
Neither are bad options, but only one is likely to end with Detroit in the World Series.