Detroit Tigers: Three potential offseason free agent targets
As the Detroit Tigers prepare to enter a unique offseason, here are three potential free agent targets who could join the fold.
Despite finishing 2020 with the third-worst record in the major leagues (23-35), there is genuine optimism surrounding the Detroit Tigers as they prepare for 2021.
Burdensome contracts are coming off the books, leaving Detroit with plenty of payroll flexibility and setting themselves up for an aggressive offseason in the near future (when COVID-19 isn’t wreaking havoc) and a number of top prospects made impressive debuts in 2020, with a slew of more highly-touted prospects quickly working their way to the majors.
Just 48 hours removed from watching the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate a World Series victory, the offseason kicked off with numerous teams declining options on players like Kolten Wong and others, signaling what we have all anticipated for months now, a severely depressed offseason market for free agents.
The Detroit Tigers aren’t immune to the current financial state of baseball, meaning they won’t be in the mix for high-priced free agents, instead likely bringing in lower-cost options to help bridge the gap to some of these prospects who figure to be major contributors in the big leagues (like some guy named Spencer Torkelson).
With needs at corner outfield, catcher, first base, and pitcher, who are some possible free agents the Detroit Tigers could target this offseason? Here are three names who could be options to join the Tigers in 2021.
A power-hitting corner outfielder would be a big boost to the middle of the Detroit Tigers lineup.
The Detroit Tigers may be ready to speed up the rebuild and bring in pieces to compete, but it won’t be this offseason. The organization can, however, still add valuable talent on a budget with an eye towards making this team better for the future.
How about signing outfielder Joc Pederson? Now a World Series champion, Pederson is coming off a down year in 2020 but he’s a power-hitting corner outfielder with 64 postseason games under his belt and a combined slash line of .272/.349/.502 and a 127 wRC+ in his postseason career.
In parts of seven seasons in the big leagues, Pederson has 130 career home runs and owns a 12.1% walk rate and 118 wRC+. He has been a 3.0+ fWAR player in three different seasons and remained relatively healthy throughout his career.
Pederson will be 29 next season, meaning there’s plenty of game left in his bat to be a contributor on a Tigers club that’s ready to compete. He’s an impact bat who provides an immediate upgrade to Detroit’s lineup and the price tag should be within a range the Tigers are comfortable spending at, even in the current market.
His 2020 regular season numbers may have been down, but his postseason surge was critical to aiding Los Angeles bringing home a World Series title and as recently as 2019, Pederson, collected 36 home runs with a career-high .249 average, a .339 OBP, and a career-high .249 ISO.
Unless a contending comes in with an aggressive offer, the Detroit Tigers should be in play for Joc Pederson.
The Detroit Tigers could use at least one veteran starting pitcher.
Looking ahead at the 2021 Detroit Tigers starting rotation, there are enough options within the organization to put together a respectable rotation. Not a playoff-caliber rotation, but respectable.
Two of Detroit’s top five prospects, RHP Casey Mize and LHP Tarik Skubal, both made their MLB debuts last season and figure to be fixtures in next year’s rotation, although possibly on an innings limit as they adjust to a full season of major league ball.
Matthew Boyd, Spencer Turnbull (led Tigers at 1.4 fWAR), and Michael Fulmer will also return to the rotation, with more Top 10 prospects like Alex Faedo and Matt Manning knocking on the door after pitching in Double-A in 2019. Both were shut down early in 2020 due to arm issues, but recent reports have been positive and both are expected to be ready to go for 2021.
Signing one or two veteran starters who can help Detroit get through 2021 makes sense, and if they are able to flip these starters at the deadline for more farm system depth, then even better.
One name that stands out as a potential signing is RHP Taijuan Walker. After logging just 14 innings between 2018-2019, Walker signed a one-year/$2 million deal with Seattle before the 2020 season, re-establishing himself as a reliabe starter before being traded to Toronto.
He ended 2020 with a 4-3 record, a 2.70 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, a .213 average against, and a 22% strikeout rate. Walker averaged just a tick under 5 IP/GS, logging 53.1 innings in 11 starts.
Walker should be available on another low-cost deal this offseason and if he can pitch as well as he did in 2020 across another half a season next year, he is sure to be in demand at the trade deadline once again.
The Tigers chose Ivan Nova over Walker last season. Maybe, they make the right choice this offseason.
Bringing back Jonathan Schoop and C.J. Cron on one-year deals makes sense for the Detroit Tigers.
I’m going to cheat a little bit and drop two names for this last target for the Detroit Tigers.
With a need at first base and in the middle of the infield, the Tigers should bring back second baseman Jonathan Schoop and first baseman C.J. Cron on one-year deals for 2021.
Schoop played well for Detroit this season, slashing .278/.324/.475 with eight home runs and a 114 wRC+. He was worth 1.4 fWAR (highest mark since 2017 with Baltimore) and is an American League Gold Glove finalist at second base.
He needed to prove himself after a rough go in Milwaukee and average 2019 in Minnesota and he did just that in a shortened 2020 season. Did he do enough to earn a bigger contract from a contending team? Possibly. With names like DJ LeMahieu, Kolten Wong, and Tommy La Stella on the market, Schoop could be a free agent who is forced to settle for another cheap one-year deal.
Cron played in just 13 games this season before going down to injury, but he did hit four home runs with three doubles, a .346 on-base percentage, and a 139 wRC+ in his very small sample size.
Cron would be nothing more than a bridge to Torkelson, but there are very few first basemen on the market and Cron will come at a very cheap price tag.
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This doesn’t address the need at the catching position, but these four free agents would be a solid start for the Detroit Tigers. They won’t move the needle, but the Tigers are a team on the rise and fans will have plenty of young talent to get excited for next year.