The Detroit Tigers missed the playoffs this past season, despite the team entering the year with high expectations.
Detroit got off to a slow start this season, and the group just couldn’t overcome it, leading to a frustrating year all around. The Tigers underwent a somewhat fire sale at the trade deadline this year, gaining some future assets for the organization that will hopefully give them some life going forward.
No matter what the Tigers do this offseason, the front office has a lot of work to do across the roster, namely in the starting rotation. Detroit traded away multiple players this year, and now it’ll be up to the franchise to give this team a chance to get back to the playoffs next season.
Tigers Linked to Reunion With All-Star
One name that could make sense for the Tigers to consider is a familiar one, right-hander Casey Mize, whom the team traded this summer. Mize saw a lot of success in Detroit, but the team wanted to get some future assets for the right-hander.
Now, Mize could elect to return to the Tigers, with Detroit needing more pitching help this offseason. Mize didn’t have the strongest results after being traded, but he has familiarity with the Tigers, and the team was a fan of his while he was there.
MLB analyst Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report linked the two together again, with Miller mentioning the Tigers as a possible landing spot. Detroit came in ranked as the third-best landing spot for the right-hander this offseason.
“A different reunion could be in the cards for Mize, though, as Detroit also clearly needs starting pitching, moving on without what had been the Nos. 1, 3, 4 and 5 starters in its Opening Day rotation. What we don’t know is whether Mize would have any interest in returning to Motown after they never even approached him about a contract extension before trading him away, per Bob Nightengale. If there’s lingering animosity about the way things ended, go ahead and scratch Detroit from the list of candidates.
“Sometimes, though, you just want to go where everybody knows your name. And Mize did have a solid run over the past two seasons at Comerica Park, making 22 starts with a 3.18 ERA,” Miller wrote.
Before being traded to the San Diego Padres, Mize posted a 2.70 ERA over 16 starts, giving the Tigers a strong starter. But after the trade, Mize struggled with the Padres, posting a 7.46 ERA over 10 starts.
Should Tigers Bring Him Back?
Depending on what type of contract Mize wants, the Tigers should absolutely look to bring him back this offseason. Mize could help lead this rotation going forward, and his time in San Diego may have been an outlier.
The right-hander didn’t look comfortable with the Padres, and it impacted him on the mound all year. But a return to Detroit could help him get back to being himself, giving the Tigers a legitimate starter going forward.
Overall, Mize could be one of the strongest moves that the Tigers could make this winter, and the team may want to see what it would take to land him. The right-hander can make a difference, and getting back to a place of comfort could help the starter.
Tigers Predicted to Bring Back All-Star in Massive Offseason Move