Detroit Tigers: 5 Free Agent Targets for 2016

5 of 6

Jul 17, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; xxx Washington Nationals starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann (27) throws to the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

#2: Jordan Zimmermann

If the Detroit Tigers are going to lose David Price, they had better get a new #1 starter. Justin Verlander and Anibal Sanchez will be the most experienced pitchers left on the roster but each have struggled at points this season and are clearly not the same pitchers they used to be.

So perhaps it is time for the Tigers to pay back the Nationals for taking away Max Scherzer by stealing away one of their aces. It is the very reason that Scherzer and his insane deal are in place in Washington that Zimmermann will likely be available this offseason unless they trade oft-injured ex-future-superstar Stephen Strasburg.

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Zimmermann is on his way to his fourth straight double-digit win season, beginning with 12 in 2012, a career-high 19 in 2013, 14 last year and 8 so far this year. He is sporting a decent, but high for him, ERA of 3.30 and a respectable WHIP of 1.231. He would give the Tigers something they excelled with in the glory days of their starting pitcher core: a strikeout pitcher. He had 182 last year and 90 so far in 2015.

Zimmermann will be an expensive addition to the Tigers, but they do not really have a choice if they want to compete in the next few seasons.

They will need to replace two starters for the second straight season in Price and Simon and will have another hole in the back-end of the rotation if Shane Greene can not solve his problems by next Spring Training.

The Tigers will need to open up the wallets. They appear not to want to spend a fortune on Price, and while Zimmermann will be costly he will probably be more of a bargain than Scherzer or Price.

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