JUST IN: Detroit Tigers have shown a huge interest in free agent “Righty”- according to MLB insider talks are ongoing between the two parties

According to Jon Morosi of MLB.com, the Tigers are interested in starting pitchers. They reportedly spoke with right-hander Lance Lynn before he signed a new contract with the Cardinals, and Morosi adds that free agent righty Seth Lugo is also of interest to the club.

Lugo, now 34, was promoted to starting pitcher in 2023 after working as a reliever for many years. He adjusted well to the change, pitching 146 1/3 innings in 26 starts with a 3.57 ERA.

He struck out 23.2% of batters he faced, walked 6%, and left 45.2% of balls in play on the ground.

He declined a $7.5 million player option to remain with the Padres in 2024, and MLBTR predicted he could sign a three-year, $42 million contract this offseason.
It’s understandable that the Tigers are looking for rotation additions to compensate for recent losses. Lefty Eduardo Rodriguez opted out of his contract, while righty Spencer Turnbull was non-tendered, making both players free agents. The remaining rotation has some talent, but there are some questions.

Lefty Tarik Skubal looked fantastic in 2023, returning from flexor tendon surgery to post an ERA of 2.80 in 15 starts and 80 1/3 innings. Even if he stays healthy next year, he may overwork himself.

Matt Manning suffered two foot fractures and was limited to 15 starts in the previous season. His 3.58 ERA appears to be adequate at first glance, but his 15.8% strikeout rate is significantly lower than the league average, and he benefited from an unsustainable.214 batting average on balls in play. In 2019, he threw 133 2/3 innings in the minors but hasn’t reached that level since. Casey Mize missed the entire year of 2023 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Reese Olson had a strong debut, but he only has 100 innings of major league experience. Sawyer Gipson-Long has only made four major league starts. Joey Wentz, Alex Faedo, and Mason Englert are on the roster, but their performances in 2023 were unimpressive.

Wilmer Flores and Keider Montero were recently added to the roster but have yet to make their major league debut. Given all of the uncertainty in this situation, it makes sense for the club to consider bringing in a stabilizing force.

The club was recently linked to Japanese righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but that appears to be a long shot given that he will almost certainly require a nine-figure deal of some kind. Scott Harris, president of baseball operations, has been cautious since taking over, and there has been little indication that he intends to change that right now. Lynn ultimately only needed a one-year contract, and Lugo’s next contract will be limited by his age.

There’s nothing stopping the Tigers from making whatever addition they want financially. Roster Resource projects a $74 million payroll in 2024. According to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, Detroit will be worth $122 million on Opening Day 2023, up from $135 million the previous year.

The only player under contract beyond 2024 is Javier Báez. It’s unclear how much the club plans to spend this offseason, but they have enough wiggle room to do a few things before approaching recent spending levels.

If not Lugo, other pitchers on the verge of signing short-term deals include Marcus Stroman, Jack Flaherty, Kenta Maeda, Michael Wacha, and a slew of others.