Detroit Tigers could conceivably spend more in free agency as a rebuilding team

Positons of need

As of now, the positions with the most pressing need for veteran cover for the Detroit Tigers are the starting rotation, the outfield and –to a lesser extent— the bullpen.

The list of positions of need could also expand to include second base if Ian Kinsler is traded.

With Justin Verlander traded and Anibal Sanchez potentially ticketed for free agency, Detroit will have a number of openings to fill in the starting rotation.

According to Spotrac, Sanchez has a $16 million option on his contract for next season that can be bought out for $5 million.

With the team shedding salary and going for a rebuild, it makes sense to move on from the 33-year-old hurler, who owns a -0.4 WAR and a 6.20 FIP in 77.2 innings this season.

Should Sanchez depart, it would leave Detroit with Matthew Boyd, Daniel Norris and Jordan Zimmermann in three rotation spots.

Internal candidates to fill the final two slots include Artie Lewicki, Buck Farmer, Myles Jaye, Chad Bell and Warwick Saupold.

Because of this and the struggles of both Boyd (1.692 WHP) and Norris (1.718 WHIP), Detroit could conceivably opt for a steadying presence or two from the free agent market.

Top-end options like Jake Arrieta, Yu Darvish and Lance Lynn obviously aren’t fits with the current Tigers roster.

However, signing pitchers like Marco Estrada, Jaime Garcia, Trevor Cahill or Scott Feldman to short-term deals could be beneficial.

These pitchers would act as stand ins for the likes of Perez, Burrows, Long, Hall and Baez, who should all be in the Majors full time by 2020.