The Detroit Tigers should look to be active this offseason as they look to get back into playoff contention.
Detroit had a disappointing year, which led them to be sellers at the trade deadline. However, in a weak AL Central, Detroit should look to be active in adding to their roster.
MLB free agency began on Monday night at 5 p.m. ET, and there could be a sprint to sign players before the Dec. 1 lockout.
Detroit Tigers Predicted to Sign Bryan Abreu
The Tigers should look for bullpen help this offseason, and they could look to sign a veteran away from the Houston Astros.
As free agency opened, MLB analyst Anthony Franco of MLBTradeRumors predicts the Tigers will sign Bryan Abreu to a two-year, $22 million deal.
“The 2026 season started out in nightmare fashion,” the article read. “Abreu allowed runs in each of his first six appearances (and seven of his first nine; eight of his first 11). Through 11 appearances, he’d been tagged for 14 runs in 9 1/3 frames. His average fastball was sitting 95.1 mph — down more than two full miles from the preceding four-year average. Abreu began stringing together some scoreless outings, but his fastball velocity continued to dwindle. …
” It’s difficult to know any individual player’s motivations, but a shorter deal with an opt-out would give Abreu some safety net while still giving him the chance to return to the market next year having shown more consistency, better command and/or restored velocity. If he’s able to check some of those boxes, he’s young enough that he could line himself up for a truly big score on the open market — especially if he signs with a team that plans to use him as its closer. Anthony’s pick: Tigers.”
Abreu could be a nice bounceback candidate for the Tigers and serve as a high-leverage reliever. He’s spent his entire eight-year MLB career with the Astros, but it seems likely he could move on. The right-hander went 6-4 with a 3.73 ERA and won the World Series in 2022.
Detroit Unlikely to be Active in Offseason
The Tigers had a disappointing year, and many fans were hoping Detroit would be active this offseason.
Yet, Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said the team isn’t going to be building through free agency.
“We’re not building through free agency. I’ve been very consistent on this point since the day I got here,” Harris said. “We are building through development. We are participating in free agency, and we always will participate in free agency. But that is meant to, and it’s designed to, supplement the core that we are developing.”
However, Detroit still could look to make some small adds, like bullpen pieces like Abreu.
Detroit Tigers Predicted to Sign World Series Champion Reliever to $22M Deal