The Detroit Tigers will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing 2026 campaign. Detroit previously had high hopes entering the season. After all, they came close to making the American League Championship Series in 2025 and subsequently added to their roster. Nevertheless, the Tigers ultimately finished with a losing record and offloaded superstar pitcher Tarik Skubal.
Losing Skubal undoubtedly stung the club. Because of this, Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller believes that the Detroit Tigers will go after another star starting pitcher this winter. More specifically, the reporter has named Jacob deGrom as the team’s top offseason trade target. As Miller points out, Detroit’s starting rotation is somewhat solid, but they could use an established star pitcher.
“[Detroit] should have room in the budget for a big splash,” writes Miller. “And if they’d rather trade for one expensive year of a two-time Cy Young winner instead of trying to re-sign their former two-time Cy Young winner to what promises to be an historic contract, they should find out if the Rangers are willing to budge on deGrom, who has given them a 3.44 ERA since his arrival in 2023.”
deGrom, now 38, previously signed a five-year, $185 million contract with Texas in December of 2022. 2027 will be the final year of the deal, and he is set to earn $37 million for the campaign. The five-time All-Star also has a $20 million club option for the 2028 season when he will be 40. Despite the risk, the Detroit Tigers could certainly use a player of his caliber atop its rotation.
Adding Jacob deGrom Would Help Solidify the Detroit Tigers Rotation
deGrom’s time in Texas initially got off to a rocky start. Injuries forced the former Cy Young winner to make just nine starts over his first two seasons with the Rangers. Nevertheless, he has made at least 30 starts in each of the last two campaigns with the club. For comparison, the Detroit Tigers had just one pitcher (Framber Valdez) make over 25 starts in 2026.
During these last two seasons, deGrom has posted a combined 3.58 ERA, 4.7 WAR, and 385 strikeouts. While his ERA was up in 2026, so were his strikeouts. In fact, he finished inside the top 10 in strikeouts (201) and in the top five in strikeouts per nine innings (11.1). Despite now being 38, the ace had higher figures in these categories than Paul Skenes, Nolan McLean, and Skubal.
The Detroit Tigers could look to take advantage of Texas’ situation. Although the Rangers had a combined payroll above the league average, they missed the playoffs once again in 2026. Texas has not played in the postseason since 2023 and may be willing to shed salary this winter. deGrom is currently his team’s highest-paid player.
Detroit Should Have Ample Money to Spend
The Detroit Tigers could also look to spend some significant funds in the near future. Looking ahead, the club does not have many top pending free agents after the 2027 campaign. Javier Baez will soon be entering his final season of a six-year, $140 million deal, and the Tigers are not expected to bring him back at this price.
Detroit, however, does have to figure out a new deal for Riley Greene soon. The star slugger will be a free agent in 2029, but the club has been linked to a substantial multi-year extension with him.
Tigers Projected to Target $185 Million Veteran Pitcher