Tigers' 2025 Free Agents, Trade Targets, Offseason Guide After ALDS Exit
For much of Major League Baseball's 2025 campaign, the Detroit Tigers were the team to beat. They were the first team to reach each of the 30 wins, 40 wins and 50 wins plateaus, and they still looked like the clear favorite for the American League's No. 1 seed into late August, when they were 25 games over .500 and running away with the AL Central.
Rather than wrapping up that top spot, though, they went 9-22 down the stretch, narrowly earning the No. 6 seed in a tiebreaker with Houston. And though they were able to clip Cleveland in the wild card round, the best-of-five showdown with the Seattle Mariners was too much for this juggernaut-turned-underdog to overcome after falling 3-2 in a 15-inning classic.
They don't lose too much this offseason, though, and they should have a nice chunk of spending money in their quest to put together a roster better equipped to avoid a late-season collapse next time around.
We'll discuss impending free agents and key options decisions before identifying areas of need and possible targets, culminating in a way-too-early projection of the Tigers' 26-man roster when they open the 2026 campaign against the San Diego Padres a little less than six months from now.
Notable Free Agents and Option Decisions
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Notable Free Agents
- 2B Gleyber Torres
- RHP Kyle Finnegan
- RHP Rafael Montero
- RHP Chris Paddack
- RHP Tommy Kahnle
- RHP Alex Cobb
By far, Torres is the biggest one Detroit will be missing here. He was named an All-Star for the third time in his career and reached base more times than any other Tiger during the regular season. But re-signing him to a multi-year deal probably isn't going to be a priority.
Finnegan was solid for the two months he was on the roster, giving the Tigers a 1.50 ERA and a few wins, holds and saves in 18.0 innings pitched. They may well try to bring him back, as bullpen arms might be the most dire of their offseason needs.
And, hey, remember Alex Cobb? He pitched against the Tigers in the 2024 ALDS, they signed him for $15M in December and he never threw a big-league pitch for them due to a hip injury. It's honestly impressive they made it to the postseason while getting absolutely nothing from that acquisition.
Option Decisions
- RHP Jack Flaherty ($20M player option)
- RHP Paul Sewald ($10M mutual option or $1M buyout)
No drama to be found here. Flaherty will probably accept his $20M player option after a disappointing run through 2025, and there's no realistic chance the Tigers will exercise their half of the mutual option for Sewald.
Biggest Needs
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Starting Pitcher
They're all set at ace in 2026 with Tarik Skubal under team control for one more season, but what are they going to put around him that's better/healthier than what they brought to the table this year?
With the $15M salaries of both Gleyber Torres and Alex Cobb out of the picture, they theoretically could repurpose that money to go get one of the aces in this year's class of free agents—pre-emptively bracing for the possibility that Skubal leaves in free agency next winter.
Relief Pitching
A then mostly no-name stockpile of relievers led the Tigers on their miracle run to the playoffs in 2024, but that bullpen was kind of awful this season, outside of Will Vest.
With Tommy Kahnle, Kyle Finnegan and Rafael Montero all hitting free agency, the roster openings are certainly there. If they also wanted to replace a few of the other arms still under team control, it might not be a bad idea.
A Right-Handed Bat Somewhere
They don't need a first baseman or a left fielder, but they need to add...something in the lineup. Zach McKinstry can play anywhere. Evidently, so can Javier Báez. That gives them the flexibility to sign just about whatever bat they want and figure out the defensive alignment later.
Free Agent Targets
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Though they opened the 2024 campaign with an estimated payroll of $95M that ranked bottom 10 in the majors, this used to be a franchise invested in contending, ranking top five in Opening Day payroll each year from 2012-17—before Christopher Ilitch took the ownership reins from his late father, Mike.
If the Tigers are serious about winning it all before Tarik Skubal hits the open market, improving his supporting cast is a must. Maybe they don't make multiple huge moves this offseason, but surely they can and should get one of the 10 biggest names on the market.
RHP Dylan Cease or LHP Ranger Suárez
One is a right-handed strikeout machine who has never missed a start in his career. The other is a southpaw with a 3.25 ERA over the past half-decade. Either one would be an excellent No. 2 to Skubal in 2026 before potentially becoming Detroit's ace for the next five years.
Spotrac estimates the market value for each at six years and roughly $160M, which isn't much more than Detroit committed to Javier Báez four years ago. (Suárez might be gettable for less than that, though, considering he has yet to stay healthy enough in a season to qualify for an ERA title.)
SS Bo Bichette
They still have two more years of Báez at $24M apiece, but at least he has proven himself capable of playing center, third or second. Adding Bichette's career .294 batting average at shortstop would be huge, as only one of Detroit's 12 leaders in plate appearances in 2025 hit .260 or better.
Parker Meadows batting leadoff in the first couple of postseason games after a .215/.291/.330 triple slash in 58 regular season games was quite the indictment of this team's (in)ability to reach base.
RHP Ryan Helsley
His two-month run with the Mets was a complete disaster. Four blown saves, three losses and a 10.38 ERA before he was relegated to mop-up work where he couldn't hurt them any longer.
During the 2022-25 Cardinals portion of his career, however, this two-time All-Star closer had a 2.03 ERA and 103 saves in 203.2 innings pitched. And given the way Helsley's value tanked after the trade deadline, Detroit might be able to scoop him up for a fraction of what Edwin Díaz and Robert Suarez will cost.
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Trade Targets
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RHP Joe Ryan
In the aftermath of its trade deadline fire sale, is Minnesota going to try to restock around its remaining core this winter? Or are the Twins going to trade away their final two years of team control on Joe Ryan while fully embracing a multi-year rebuild?
If it's the latter, certainly Detroit knows what this pitcher is capable of doing. They somehow didn't cross paths in 2025, but in eight starts against the Tigers from 2022-24, Ryan logged 48.0 innings with a 2.63 ERA, a 0.88 WHIP and a 12.4 K/9.
If not Ryan, the Tigers could also make a run at either MacKenzie Gore and his two remaining years of arbitration eligibility with the Nationals, or Mitch Keller with three years and $54.5M left on his contract with the Pirates.
3B Josh Jung
The Tigers already have Jace Jung, and maybe trading for his older brother would stoke the flames of a competition that makes both players better.
Zach McKinstry was Detroit's primary third baseman in 2025, but they would prefer to let that utilityman bounce around as something of a full-time back-up while having a better first option at the hot corner. The elder Jung has averaged 24 home runs per 162 games played in the majors, and for the right price, the Rangers might be willing to trade him away to make some room for top prospect Sebastian Walcott.
RHP Pete Fairbanks
Because he triggered a number of escalators with his tally of appearances and games finished over the past three years, Fairbanks' club option for 2026 has soared from $7M up to $12.5M. And Tampa Bay spending eight figures for one year of a relief pitcher is just about the most un-Rays thing imaginable.
Rather than pay a $1M buyout to decline the option, though, they'll probably exercise it and then immediately look to trade Fairbanks away. Detroit would figure to be among the parties interested in his services.
Projected 2026 Opening Day Roster
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Starting Lineup
2B Colt Keith
DH Kerry Carpenter
1B Spencer Torkelson
LF Riley Greene
3B Josh Jung
RF Wenceel Pérez
CF Zach McKinstry
C Dillon Dingler
SS Javier Báez
Bench
C Jake Rogers
UTIL Matt Vierling
UTIL Andy Ibáñez
DH Jahmai Jones
Starting Rotation
LHP Tarik Skubal
LHP Ranger Suárez
RHP Jack Flaherty
RHP Casey Mize
RHP Reese Olson
Bullpen
RHP Pete Fairbanks
RHP Will Vest
LHP Tyler Holton
LHP Brant Hurter
RHP Brenan Hanifee
RHP Troy Melton
RHP Beau Brieske
RHP Jason Foley
Maybe the biggest variable facing the Tigers heading into this offseason is when the top prospects will be ready.
Middle infielder Kevin McGonigle ended the year at No. 2 overall on MLB.com's prospect pipeline, while outfielder Max Clark checked in at No. 9. Both were promoted to Double-A Erie in early July and fared well enough down the stretch to warrant a spring training invitation and potential spots on the 40-man roster if March goes well.
Are they banking on those 2023 first-round picks making an impact in 2026?
If so, does that make it even more likely that they'll go out and sign one of the four premium starting pitchers available this winter?
Could be an aggressive (by Detroit's recent standards, at any rate) winter as they look to build upon the first 80 percent of this season when they looked like the American League team to beat.
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