The Detroit Tigers are on the rise. Taking the next step is the hard part

This is the moment front offices should find invigorating, but too often dread. The worst of the losing is over. The team is on the rise. But now comes a new challenge. Expectations mount. Scrutiny increases. The payroll jumps, or at least it should, increasing the possibility of big-money mistakes.

The Detroit Tigers are approaching this juncture, competing for a wild card with a stunning second-half surge that caught almost the entire industry by surprise. The team features an intriguing young core. Its payroll commitments for 2025 are a relatively meager $38.8 million. This offseason, the additions of a top-of-the-rotation starter, corner-infield help and more strikeout capability in the bullpen could push the team closer to the next great era of Tigers baseball.

Which isn’t to say the Tigers should do anything stupid; the last thing they need is another Javier Báez. They are rebounding, in large part, because president of baseball operations Scott Harris remained disciplined in his decision-making.

Harris, completing his second full season, need not be as desperate as the Kansas City Royals were for a turnaround coming off 106 losses a year ago. Nor will he want to turn into the Cincinnati Reds, who last offseason spent more than $100 million in free agency to supplement a young, talented roster — and appear headed to a sub-.500 finish.

Adding proven veterans in an effort to “take the next step” often is tricky, simply because so much can go wrong. The risk for the Tigers last offseason was much lower. The players Harris acquired — pitchers Jack Flaherty, Kenta Maeda, Shelby Miller and Andrew Chafin, outfielder Mark Canha and third baseman Gio Urshela — were intended to enhance the building effort, biding time for young players, building trade value or both. Flaherty was the only clear win. Maeda joined Báez as a sunk cost; the two comprise the bulk of the team’s payroll commitments for 2025.

The mindset this winter must be different. The Tigers’ free-agent choices should help the team compete for the AL Central title. Could be Christian Walker at first. Could be Alex Bregman at third. Could be Nathan Eovaldi for the rotation, Tanner Scott for the bullpen. Harris can figure out the names later. But with AL Cy Young favorite Tarik Skubal under club control for only two more seasons, it’s go time.

The Tigers’ (24-10) record since Aug. 11 is the best in the majors. So is their 2.52 ERA, and plus 60-run differential. All of this happened after they sold at the deadline, parting with Flaherty, Canha and Chafin. Their return for Flaherty initially drew criticism, particularly compared to what the Toronto Blue Jays landed for Yusei Kikuchi. But Trey Sweeney is showing enough to possibly be at least the primary shortstop next season against right-handed pitching, and catcher Thayron Liranzo is starting to appear on lists of the game’s top 100 prospects.

A strong case can be made for the Tigers to pursue top free agent Juan Soto, who, at 26 next season, is at the right age for an emerging club. The late Detroit owner Mike Ilitch might have gone for such a splash, even with a team deep in left-handed hitting outfielders (Riley Greene, Parker Meadows, Kerry Carpenter and switch-hitter Wenceel Perez, not to mention top prospect Max Clark). Ilitch’s son, team president and CEO Christopher Ilitch, is far less likely to make a massive investment. But even factoring in salaries for arbitration-eligible players, the Tigers’ payroll has significant room to grow.

First base is one potential area of need. The Tigers need to make a decision on Spencer Torkelson, whom they drafted first overall in 2020 under Harris’ predecessor, Al Avila. Harris and Co. gave an indication of how they view Torkelson by sending him to Triple A for nearly three months. Torkelson has been better since returning, but is he a permanent solution?

Jace Jung, the 12th overall pick in 2022, Avila’s last draft, also might be less than a fixture, and not simply because front offices are generally less wedded to players brought in by previous regimes. With the Tigers committed to Colt Keith, Jung is unlikely to return to second, his position at Texas Tech. He is still growing comfortable at third, and manager AJ Hinch’s ties to Bregman from their days together with the Houston Astros will prompt speculation about a possible fit.

Both Torkelson and Jung are represented by Scott Boras, who also is the agent for Bregman and top free-agent first baseman Pete Alonso. How all that will figure into Boras’ and the Tigers’ equations, if at all, is impossible to say. Other teams also will be in the market for Bregman and Alonso, both of whom will be among the most expensive free-agent options.

The Tigers will need to make a decision on Spencer Torkelson, a former No. 1 overall pick who has yet to blossom. (Duane Burleson / Getty Images)

The rotation is another area for the Tigers to address, considering that for most of this run they used only two starters, Skubal and Keider Montero, and ran frequent bullpen games. Skubal, Reese Olson and top prospect Jackson Jobe give the club the makings of an outstanding top three, but the right veteran addition would make the group deeper and stronger.

The Tigers need not splurge on Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell or Max Fried, though any of those three obviously would provide significant impact. The free-agent market also will include Flaherty, Kikuchi and Luis Severino, plus potentially Eovaldi, Sean Manaea and Michael Wacha, if they decline player options.

Finally, there is the bullpen. The Tigers entered Tuesday ranked seventh in the majors in bullpen ERA, but with the sixth worst strikeout rate. Casual fans might be challenged to name more than one or two of their relievers. Hinch is using both Jason Foley and Tyler Holton at the back end. So while the performance of relievers is notoriously volatile, a free-agent closer such as Scott or Carlos Estévez would help, and other additions should be considered, too.

Again, the Tigers can go about this in a measured, intelligent manner. The trade market will offer additional opportunities, particularly now that the Detroit farm system is strong enough for Harris to at least consider trading young players. Maybe one of the club’s young outfielders could bring a starting pitcher. Maybe Torkelson and/or Jung would appeal to certain teams.

This is when it gets fun. After seven straight losing seasons, including a 114-loss campaign in 2019, the Tigers finally are competitive again, enlivening Comerica Park, captivating the city. The pressures now will be greater, but so will the rewards. Many of the pieces are in place. The Tigers just need a few more.

(Top photo of Trey Sweeney: Nic Antaya / Getty Images)