18 former Tigers still available in free agency as 2025-2026 offseason drags on

Here we are in 2026, staring down the slow burn of the offseason, and the Detroit Tigers rumor mill is once again spitting out familiar names like it’s trying to remind us that time is a flat circle.

A number of former Tigers are still sitting out there in free agency — most notably José Urquidy, Andy Ibáñez, Justin Verlander (yes, again), Manuel Margot, and Gio Urshela — and it raises the question:

Would we actually want any of them back? Let’s take a look, with equal parts nostalgia and realism.

17 former Tigers still available in free agency as offseason drags on

José Urquidy

Urquidy arrived in Detroit as one of those “maybe we unlocked something here” pitching acquisitions. The Tigers signed him to a backloaded contract while he was recovering from Tommy John surgery, and he joined the team in time for a September stretch run.

Urquidy made just two relief appearances for the Tigers –– a four-out hold against the Miami Marlins, followed by a rough outing against the Cleveland Guardians. He was left off of Detroit's postseason roster, and the Tigers declined his option for 2026.

If the Tigers were still in the “patch holes and hope” era, a reunion might make sense. But for now, Urquidy feels more like a depth move for someone else than a piece of the Tigers’ next step.

Andy Ibáñez

Ibáñez was one of those players you never expected to think about this much. He wasn’t flashy. He wasn’t a prospect darling. But man, the guy could grind out professional at-bats. He hit enough, defended enough, and showed up every day like he’d been in the league for 12 years.

His value was versatility and competence — something the Tigers lineup desperately lacked for stretches of 2024–25. He played his way into the lineup, then stayed there longer than anyone projected.

Would a reunion make sense? Honestly … maybe. If the front office still values position-flex role players who lengthen the bench rather than headline the lineup, Ibáñez fits like a well-worn glove.

Justin Verlander

This again.

It feels like every winter we spin the same vinyl record: “What if Verlander came home?” And every time, the needle scratches somewhere between nostalgia and exhaustion. Verlander is one of the greatest Detroit athletes of our lifetime. He’s a franchise pillar. He’s the 2011 MVP. He’s the guy we still picture walking off the mound to a roaring crowd at Comerica Park.

But Verlander is also pushing mid-40s, and the Tigers are not a museum exhibit dedicated to reliving 2012. They need durable innings, not ceremonial victories. This reunion always sounds emotional and poetic — until you actually think about roster construction and payroll.

Would it sell jerseys? Yes. Would it be magical for a minute? Probably. Would it solve the Tigers’ biggest problems? No.

Love the man. Cherish the memories. But let this one live in the scrapbook.

Manuel Margot

Margot’s Tigers tenure lives in that weird category of “I swear this should have worked better.” Speed. Defense. Athleticism. Veteran savvy. On paper, he looked like exactly the type of outfielder who’d thrive at Comerica Park.

In practice? He was fine. Not bad. Not great. Just … fine.

The problem now is that the Tigers’ outfield needs impact — not placeholders. They need dudes who change games, not simply avoid disaster. Margot feels like a fourth outfielder for a contender — which, ironically, is exactly where the Tigers want to be, but not what they need to add right now.

Gio Urshela

When Urshela arrived, the Tigers were still searching for third base stability — something that had felt cursed since, well … forever. And Urshela did steady the infield. His glove was sharp. His instincts were strong. He looked like a veteran who’d done this for a decade.

But the bat? Inconsistent. Too many empty stretches. Too few difference-making moments.

In a world where Jace Jung and others are pushing for real at-bats, bringing back Urshela risks bottlenecking opportunity without meaningfully lifting the floor. Wrong time, wrong fit.

Others include: Mark Canha, Jose Iglesias, Michael Lorenzen, Chris Paddack, Max Scherzer, Alex Cobb, Jose Ureña, Justin Wilson, Andrew Chafin, Shelby Miller, Paul Sewald, Luke Jackson, Rafael Montero. But none are much of what the Tigers need at this point. Better off upgrading, much like the list above.

So … should the Tigers go back to the well in any capacity?

Short answer? Probably not — except maybe Ibáñez if the price and role make sense. This isn’t the nostalgia era anymore. This isn’t about patching holes with familiar faces. The Tigers finally look like a team trying to build a future, not extend the past with sentimental cameos.

We can appreciate what these players did in Detroit (well, some). Tip the cap. Clap during the return video when they visit. But reunions only make sense when they move the team forward. And for once, the Tigers actually need to be thinking that way.