Detroit Tigers: 3 veteran starting pitchers to target this offseason

With another rebuilding year coming up, the Detroit Tigers would be wise to add a veteran starting pitcher to potentially flip at the trade deadline in 2019.

The Detroit Tigers are nearly done with the first, and hopefully most painful, year of their rebuild. While next year should feature more of their young prospects reaching the big leagues, the team will still primarily be made up of quite a few fringe MLB regulars holding down a spot.

The rotation, as of now, will look somewhat similar in 2019. Michael Fulmer, Matthew Boyd and Daniel Norris are all expected to return for another season in the Olde English D. Boyd is a possible offseason trade candidate, although I’d be surprised if he is dealt. The team will also return Jordan Zimmermann, as they owe him roughly $50 million dollars in the next two seasons.

The final rotation spot could go to multiple different arms, including Matt Hall, Spencer Turnbull, Blaine Hardy or even (shudder) Jacob Turner.

However, it would make sense for the Tigers to do what they did last offseason, when they signed veterans Francisco Liriano and Mike Fiers to one-year deals. Each contributed in the rotation this season, chewing up innings for the Tigers while many of the other starters battled injuries.

Liriano remains with the team, but the Tigers were able to flip Fiers to the Oakland A’s in exchange for reliever Nolan Blackwood and a player to be named later.

Detroit should take the same approach next season, adding a veteran arm (or two) who has had previous big league success. If they don’t perform well, Detroit can cut them. No harm done. If they do, they could potentially flip them for more prospects – continuing their quest to get younger as they build to the future.

Here are three arms the Detroit Tigers could consider signing this offseason.