The Detroit Tigers were one of the more disappointing teams in baseball this past season, with the group missing the playoffs entirely.
After a strong 2025 year, the Tigers took a step back in 2026, with the group getting off to a very slow start. This led Detroit to have a fire sale at the trade deadline, with the front office moving multiple players for future assets.
As the Tigers look ahead to the upcoming offseason, there are multiple areas that the team will have to address. But none may be larger than the starting rotation, which the Tigers desperately need to deal with.
After trading away ace Tarik Skubal, the Tigers are left with few options, and the front office has some work to do. Detroit could be a decent bounce-back candidate for the playoffs next year, but the team will have to add.
Tigers Linked With All-Star
One name that could be good for the Tigers to go after is veteran right-hander Nick Martinez, who will be a free agent. Martinez is coming off an All-Star campaign with the Tampa Bay Rays, and he could be in line for a nice payday.
MLB analyst Cristian Crespo of Just Baseball has named the Tigers as a strong landing spot for Martinez this offseason. The contract projection that came in for the veteran was around $16-$22 million, with him getting a multi-year deal of one-to-three years.
Martinez had an excellent year with the Rays, and it should allow him to have a strong market. The veteran made 31 starts for Tampa Bay, posting a 3.10 ERA over 190.0 innings, striking out 109 batters in the process.
“Given the state of the Tigers and just how Scott Harris prefers to dabble in the free-agent market, this team will likely not be in the upper tier of spending. Framber has surely left a sour taste in their mouths.
This rotation is full of question marks. We have seen flashes from these pitchers at times, but nothing that screams safety. The addition of a veteran like Nick Martinez would mitigate a lot of those worries, especially in terms of consistency and his ability to eat innings. Martinez is also someone who is looking to continue improving his HR/FB%, and the spacious ballpark in Detroit should play well with his profile,” Crespo wrote.
Should Tigers Make This Signing?
Since the Tigers do need more pitchers for the rotation next season, going after Martinez does make sense. The right-hander could give this team a nice veteran presence for the rotation, and he can bring his experience from the Rays to Detroit.
With Martinez being 36 years old, the Tigers wouldn’t have to give him any long-term money, which helps maintain flexibility going forward. But for the 2027 season, the Tigers would get a quality arm that can eat innings.
If anything, Martinez could become a trade chip for Detroit if he were to pitch well again, which could net this team more assets for the future. Overall, Martinez could be a solid addition for the Tigers, giving them a strong piece to work with next year that doesn’t completely break the bank this offseason.
Tigers Predicted to Land All-Star Pitcher in Massive Offseason Move