Detroit Tigers: Potential in-house Anibal Sanchez replacements

Detroit Tigers fans likely won’t see Anibal Sanchez return to the team after the Detroit Free Press’ Anthony Fenech reported the news in a tweet Friday morning. Here’s how the Tigers could replace him.

Detroit Tigers starting pitchers will likely see a new face join their ranks on a full-time basis in 2018.

As it stands, four fifths of Detroit’s starting rotation will likely be comprised of Michael Fulmer, Matthew Boyd, Daniel Norris and Jordan Zimmermann.

With Sanchez likely departing, the team will need another starter to round out the group.

Obviously the Tigers, and most every team for that matter, will need more than five starters. That being said, Detroit needs a starter to pencil in with the aforementioned four.

It’s very possible that the team may sign a free agent or two to help fill the need.

Free agents

There’s plenty of free agent starting pitchers who the Tigers could conceivably look to sign on one-year deals that could be fits.

These range from everyone from Trevor Cahill, Tyler Chatwood and Scott Feldman to Jamie Garcia, Miguel Gonzalez and Chris Tillman.

Miles Mikolas, a pitcher with 91.1 innings in the Majors from 2012 to 2014, spent the last three years dominating in the Japanese Central League.

The 29-year-old posted a 2.18 ERA, a 0.994 WHIP and 8.0 strikeouts per nine frames in 424.2 frames for the Yomirui Giants.

Mikolas is a free agent and could be a fit, as is old friend Doug Fister, who is also a free agent.

Fister is fresh off a 90.1 inning stint with Boston in 2017 that saw him log a 3.98 FIP and a 1.4 fWAR for the Red Sox.

However, if the Tigers decide to go with an in-house option, here’s a look at the potential fits to replace Sanchez in the rotation.