The Detroit Tigers recently added veteran starter Kenta Maeda to their roster, and it seems they have more moves in mind.
Tigers’ President of Baseball Operations, Scott Harris, stated, “We’re going to keep looking to add pitching. You’ll never hear me say that we have enough pitching. I don’t even believe it’s possible to have enough pitching. We’re going to see what’s available and if we can find more ways to make our staff deeper and better overall.”
The timing is advantageous for the Tigers, considering the available options in the pitching market. While the pool of free-agent position players may not be particularly strong this year, the abundance of mid-tier starting pitchers aligns well with the Tigers’ needs.
Here are 11 pitchers still available on the market, with contract estimates drawn from various sources:
While the Tigers could potentially make a big move for Japanese pitchers Yamamoto or Imanaga, it’s more likely that they’ll explore options from the list above, all falling within a similar price range to Maeda’s recent two-year, $24 million deal. The article emphasizes that these pitchers are potential targets for the Tigers to further strengthen their pitching staff.
1. Seth Lugo
Age: 34
The right-hander just wrapped up his first full season as a starter 2017, posting a 3.57 ERA in a career-high 146 1/3 innings with the San Diego Padres. He’ll be looking to cash in with the first multiyear contract of his career.
Contract estimates:
2 years, $26 million (Fangraphs)
3 years, $42 million (MLB Trade Rumors)
2 years, $20 million (The Athletic)
2 years, $28.4 million (Baseball Trade Values)
2. Mike Clevinger
Age: 33 in December
Once a mainstay in the Cleveland rotation, Clevinger spent last year with the White Sox, posting a 3.77 ERA in 131 1/3 innings. His strikeout numbers are well down for his heyday, but he has good command and is seen as a safe mid-rotation option. On a one-year deal, he’d be a bargain. But the second year — which most expect him to get — could be a tougher call.
Estimates:
2 years, $24 million (Fangraphs)
2 years, $26 million (MLB Trade Rumors)
2 years, $25 million (Baseball Trade Values)
3. Jack Flaherty
Age: 28
After battling injuries for parts of three seasons, this was supposed to be a showcase year for Flaherty before hitting free agency. He did end up throwing 144 innings between the Cardinals and Orioles, and his 4.36 FIP was far better than his 4.99 ERA. The projections for Flaherty are all over the place. He could get two or even three years because of his age. But might he prefer a one-year deal to position himself for another run at free agency next winter?
Estimates:
2 years, $20 million (Fangraphs)
3 years, $40 million (MLB Trade Rumors)
1 year, $10 million (The Athletic)
2 years, $26.8 million (Baseball Trade Values)
4. Michael Lorenzen
Age: 32 in January
Hey, we know this guy! Lorenzen was the Tigers’ All-Star representative in 2023 and then was deal to the Philadelphia Phillies at the deadline. He threw a no-hitter for his new team and then struggled the rest of the way. Did he pitch well enough overall to score a two-year deal? Most projections say yes.
Estimates:
2 years, $20 million (Fangraphs)
2 years, $22 million (MLB Trade Rumors)
2 years, $22.6 million (Baseball Trade Values)
5. Nick Martinez
Age: 33
After a detour to Japan, Martinez came back to the States in 2022 and has spent the last two years as a hybrid starter/reliever, logging 100 innings in each of the last two seasons for the Padres. That sort of versatility could be appealing to the Tigers.
Estimates:
2 years, $18 million (Fangraphs)
2 years, $25 million (MLB Trade Rumors)
2 years, $18.6 million (Baseball Trade Values)
6. Sean Manaea
Age: 32 in February
The former A’s ace has posted a 4.73 ERA over the last two seasons (4.26 FIP) and he worked some out of the pen for the Giants in 2023. After a disastrous start to the season, he had a 3.44 with 97 strikeouts in 91 innings after May 17.
Estimates:
2 years, $24 million (Fangraphs)
2 years, $22 million (MLB Trade Rumors)
2 years, $32.2 million (Baseball Trade Values)
7. James Paxton
Age: 35
Age and health would be the only concerns with signing this veteran lefty. When healthy, he’s about as consistent as they come.
Estimates:
1 year, $8 million (Fangraphs)
1 year, $8 million (The Athletic)
1 year, $11.7 million (Baseball Trade Values)
8. Hyun Jin Ryu
Age: 37 in March
Ryu hasn’t pitched a full season since 2021 due to Tommy John surgery, so teams will look closely at how he pitched down the stretch. If he’s healthy, the Korean lefty would make a lot of sense on a one-year deal.
Estimates:
1 year, $10 million (Fangraphs)
1 year, $8 million (The Athletic)
1 year, $11 million (Baseball Trade Values)
9. Lucas Giolito
Age: 30 in July
Giolito endured a strange summer, being traded from the White Sox to the Angels and then to the Guardians. He didn’t pitch well for the latter two teams. How much that will affect his free agency remains to be seen. He was one of the league’s best from 2019-2021, but he won’t be paid like it. That could lead him to seek an opt-out after Year 1 to try to cash in if he has a bounce-back year.
Estimates:
2 years, $30 million (Fangraphs)
2 years, $44 million (MLB Trade Rumors)
2 years, $24 million (The Athletic)
2 years, $40.2 million (Baseball Trade Values)
10. Frankie Montas
Age: 31 in March
Montas was a stud with the Athletics but has given the Yankees virtually nothing due to injuries. He’s a prime bounce-back candidate.
Estimates:
1 year, $8 million (Fangraphs)
1 year, $15 million (MLB Trade Rumors)
1 year, $16.4 million (Baseball Trade Values)
11. Luis Severino
Age: 30 in February
Once upon a time, he was an elite pitcher, but injury setbacks and serious struggles in 2023 make it unlikely he’ll get more than one year.
Estimates:
1 year, $10 million (Fangraphs)
1 year, $14 million (MLB Trade Rumors)
1 year, $12.6 million (Baseball Trade Values)
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