Detroit, MI

Financial Constraints Could Prevent Detroit Tigers From Landing Dream Player

Published

1 year ago

November 24, 2024

Financial Constraints Could Prevent Detroit Tigers From Landing Dream Player

The Detroit Tigers are coming into the offseason looking to improve after a shockingly great 2024 campaign.

Nobody saw the Tigers coming in 2024, as they went on to have one of the best second halves of a season in a long time. They were able to ride that momentum right into the playoffs, and they defeated the Houston Astros in the Wild Card Round.

When looking at the Detroit roster, it was pretty clear that manager A.J. Hinch did a magnificent job finding ways to win games. While he had the luxury of Tarik Skubal pitching every five days, there wasn’t much else in the starting rotation after trading away Jack Flaherty.

This winter, the Tigers will have the opportunity to add to a young roster that achieved a lot in 2024.

While they had a lot of success last year, there are some areas that the team can improve upon. One of which is at third base.

Hitting was an issue at times for Detroit in 2024, as they need to become more consistent if they want to take the next step forward in 2025.

Recently, Jason Beck of MLB.com spoke about Alex Bregman being a great fit for the Tigers. However, he highlighted that financial constraints could hold the franchise back from their dream target.

“While the on-field fit with Bregman is obvious, the financial fit is another matter. The Tigers have not been a team for bidding wars; even under the late owner Mike Ilitch, they were more active finding undervalued or overlooked free agents (Pudge Rodriguez, Magglio Ordonez, Kenny Rogers) than outbidding teams for highly-sought talent. There’s a ton of payroll space in Detroit, but the Tigers just got past one long-term deal that didn’t age well (Miguel Cabrera), and still have Javier Báez for three more years. President of baseball operations Scott Harris has been more attracted to shorter-term deals and long-term flexibility, both in Detroit and in his previous job as Giants general manager. He might have to weigh how much he wants to stretch a deal to get Bregman”

Adding the gold glove third baseman would be a really good move for the Tigers for multiple reasons. As a good hitter and fielder, Bregman was able to total an impressive WAR once again last year. With three straight seasons of a WAR over 4.0, the slugger is extremely consistent.

In addition to what he can do on the field, Bregman has a ton of experience in the league and in the playoffs. This can only help a young Tigers team that entered uncharted waters last season.

While he certainly makes sense for Detroit, he is going to be one of the highest paid free agents this offseason wherever he goes. It is very possible that the financial side of things could be the reason why they don’t get their dream target.

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Detroit, MI

Detroit man accused of fatally shooting two men in Tennessee

Published

7 hours ago

January 12, 2026

Press Room

Detroit man accused of fatally shooting two men in Tennessee

A Detroit man suspected of fatally shooting two men on a Tennessee highway in November was arrested Monday in Michigan, authorities said.

Dashonn Moten, 28, of Detroit was indicted on 17 criminal counts, including two counts each of first-degree murder and felony murder, Knoxville, Tennessee, police said in a social media post.

Moten is accused of killing Troy Hutchison, 33, of Atlanta and Rodrell Jeter, 25, of Detroit during an incident on the morning of Nov. 16 on Interstate 640 in Knoxville.

Moten also faces one count of attempted murder related to a third victim, a 22-year-old Detroit man, who was critically injured in the shooting, authorities said.

Detectives believe the victims were traveling from Detroit to Atlanta in a light-color Ford Bronco with a Michigan license plate, according to a press release issued in November. At that time, police were unsure of a motive or the relationship between the suspect and the victims.

Two days after the shooting, the Bronco was found abandoned in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, police said.

Moten was identified as a suspect based on an investigation that included dozen of interviews, a review of cellphone records and anonymous tips, authorities said.

U.S. Marshals took him into custody Monday in the Detroit area, according to authorities. He is expected to be extradited to Knox County.

mreinhart@detroitnews.com

@max_detroitnews

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Detroit, MI

Detroit man arrested following manhunt for double murder in Tennessee

Published

19 hours ago

January 12, 2026

Press Room

Detroit man arrested following manhunt for double murder in Tennessee

STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. – A 28-year-old man from Detroit has been arrested for the murder of two people in Tennessee.

Troy Hutchinson and Rodrell Jeter were shot and killed Nov. 16, 2025, outside Nashville, Tennessee. A third man was hospitalized with critical injuries.

Police believe four men were traveling from Detroit to Atlanta in a Ford Bronco when the fourth man opened fire on the victims before leaving in the vehicle. The Bronco was found abandoned in Kentucky, just south of Cincinnati in Ohio.

Jeter and the man who was hospitalized were both from Detroit, while Hutchinson is from Atlanta.

A motive for the shooting remains unknown.

In late November, police identified the suspect as Dashonn Moten. He was indicted on 17 counts, including two counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and two counts of felony murder.

After nearly two months, Moten was arrested Friday, Jan. 10, in Sterling Heights and is awaiting extradition to Tennessee for his arraignment.

If convicted, Moten faces possible execution.

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Detroit, MI

Thompson: The new year brings a promising future for Detroit students

Published

1 day ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

Thompson: The new year brings a promising future for Detroit students

Detroit Public Schools Community District often gets a bad rap due to declining enrollment issues or longstanding challenges that led to the historic takeover of the school system before voters returned it to an elected board.

And in many cases, that is the lens through which the school system’s performance is examined and viewed across the state. But there are hidden stories of progress within a school system that is still struggling to define itself and to give young Detroiters hope for a meaningful future.

I saw that first-hand last week at Denby High School, part of the Detroit Public Schools Community District, on the city’s east side, where hundreds of young Black and Brown male students gathered in the basketball gym for the annual policing and prosperity forum.

The annual event initiated and led by tenacious Detroiter Sharlonda Buckman, the district’s assistant superintendent for family and community engagement, is one of the hidden jewels of the public school system and brings together male students from various high schools to discuss their interaction with law enforcement. On the panel were senior and junior police officers from the Detroit Police Department, as well as the district’s public safety chief, Labrit Jackson, all of whom took hard questions from the students about how to navigate the complexities of the criminal justice system.

Before the start of the forum, I met three students: 17-year-old Justin Montgomery, 17-year-old Exavier Ward and 16-year-old Wesley Lewis, all students of Denby.

The three of them live on the east side and are serious and determined students who believe they have an obligation to be worthy ambassadors of their communities.

“I just got a scholarship from Cleary University for track and field and cross country and I just signed the papers so I can be committed,” Ward told me. “I am excited for the new year and I’m ready to live my adult life.”

His parents are also joyful about his future because, “out of all of my siblings, I’m going to be the first one to go to college. I want to major in cybersecurity,” he says.

Montgomery is scouting Oakland University or Central Michigan University and is also interested in a trades school. He’s keeping his options open.

“I have been here for a while and I’m ready to get out of high school. The experience has been good for me,” he says.

For Lewis, graduating in 2027 will make him the first in his family to be committed to college. That alone keeps him upbeat for the new year as he prepares for the challenges and the pressures of being an 11th grade student.

“I’m really ready to go to college. I’m looking at Kentucky State University, Wayne State University and Michigan State University,” he says. “I probably would major in music in college because I currently play the piano. But sometimes I get nervous about college because I feel like it is going to be harder than high school.”

These impressive young men speak to the vitality of the school system and the need to continue to nurture and support them.

The forum on policing and prosperity reinforces that need.

“This forum is so important because we give the students an opportunity to have a voice and talk about the things that are important to them and how they interact with law enforcement,” says Marty Bulger, the district’s senior director of male mentoring.

“Even a more dynamic piece is the fact that because the city has seen a reduction in violent crime, we believe as we reach our young people, we will continue to see a decline. These young men are our future leaders.”

X (formerly Twitter): @BankoleDetNews

bankole@bankolethompson.com

Bankole Thompson’s columns appear on Mondays and Thursdays in The Detroit News.

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