The offseason is barely underway and the Detroit Tigers have already begun filling holes on their roster.
On Thursday, the Tigers stole Tucker Barnhart from the Reds, filling a need behind the plate. With Jake Rogers lost for the 2022 season, and Eric Haase faltered down the stretch. Finding another catcher for the upcoming season was a priority.
Three moves the Detroit Tigers should make
Even though the Tigers have already taken care of one of their holes, there are still issues on the roster. As the young core continues to develop, and top prospects Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene are expected to make an impact, the Tigers need to add a couple more pieces if they are going to contend in 2022.
The Detroit Tigers are planning on taking that next step in the coming year. Let’s take a look at three moves they should make to do so.
Bring back Justin Verlander
The Detroit Tigers have an excellent young pitching staff that has already displayed its potential. However, they need a veteran arm who has been through the battles to help them take the next step.
Fortunately, there is a pitcher who could come available in free agency that would fit that bill. Justin Verlander has missed most of the past two seasons due to Tommy John surgery, making just one start in 2020.
There is no guarantee that Verlander will enter free agency. The Astros could give him the Qualifying Offer, an $18.4 million salary for 2022 that he could accept. If he does not, Verlander could be a relative bargain in free agency while still potentially being the top of the rotation arm that the Tigers need. After all, he won the Cy Young award in 2019 and had been as dominant as ever in his one outing before injury.
Verlander would also send a message to the Tigers. Yes, he would be a major question mark due to his age and coming back from injury. But he would signal to the rest of the roster, particularly the pitching staff, that the team is ready to contend.
The Detroit Tigers need a top of the rotation arm and a veteran leader for their pitching staff. It is time to bring Justin Verlander home.