Kenta Maeda’s two-year contract with the Tigers was finalized this afternoon. Behind Tarik Skubal, the right-hander adds a veteran presence to the middle of the staff. In the season opener, he will be joined by younger pitchers Reese Olson, Casey Mize, Sawyer Gipson-Long, and Matt Manning.
That’s a talented group, but Detroit doesn’t appear to be content to rest on its laurels. Scott Harris, president of baseball operations, told the beat this afternoon that the front office will continue to look for pitching (as relayed by Evan Woodbery of MLive).
Harris recognized the general truism that teams could always benefit from stockpiling pitching depth. Aside from that, there are compelling reasons for the front office to seek at least one more rotation option. Each of Detroit’s top six faces workload concerns. Skubal missed nearly a year between 2022 and 2023 due to a flexor problem that necessitated forearm surgery. Mize did not pitch this year as he recovered from Tommy John surgery in June of 22. Maeda had a UCL repair late in ’21 and would miss the entire 2022 season. He pitched 104 1/3 innings this season, missing a few months due to a triceps strain.
This year, Manning fractured both feet on separate comebackers, limiting him to 15 starts. While those are sporadic, he had shoulder issues and was limited to 12 appearances in 2022. Meanwhile, Olson and Gipson-Long made their MLB debuts in the middle of last season. The former pitched 103 2/3 innings in 23 appearances, while the latter made four starts in the last month.
Adding another rotation option could allow the front office to keep one of their younger arms at Triple-A Toledo in preparation for the inevitable injuries that will occur throughout the season. It would also provide some leeway for manager A.J. Hinch to potentially use someone from the group out of the bullpen.
Detroit could also directly contribute to the relief corps. When discussing the pitching search, Harris made no distinction between the rotation and the bullpen. It would be surprising if the Tigers made a significant impact in the bullpen, which was a league-average unit last season. The top four of Jason Foley, Alex Lange, Will Vest, and Tyler Holton is strong, but Detroit could bring in a veteran for the middle innings.
This offseason, the Tigers have not been linked to any specific relievers. On the rotation front, prior to the Maeda deal, reports linked them to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Seth Lugo, and Luis Severino. A strike at Yamamoto or even Lugo appears unlikely, given the widespread belief that Detroit will pursue shorter-term agreements. Lugo is expected to sign a three-year contract, whereas the Tigers reportedly preferred to limit the commitment to one season. Severino appears to be in line for a one-year contract extension. Wade Miley, Frankie Montas, and James Paxton are among the other free agent one-year options.
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