Detroit Tigers: 3 recently elected free agents the Tigers should pursue

The Detroit Tigers have an opportunity to pursue a big collection of new free agents, who will be available on the cheap.

18 different teams, including the Detroit Tigers, lost players to one of the first bouts of free agency elections. Players who are outrighted off the 40-man roster during the season, but choose to remain in the organization instead of opting for free agency, are allowed to elect free agency at the end of the season.

All told, 41 players took that option and are now free agents. Two of them, Dixon Machado and Jacob Turner, were outrighted off the Tigers roster. While either of them could be brought back on new deals, it seems likely that their time in the Motor City has run its course.

That leaves 39 other players who the Tigers could pursue. This is not a collection of future All-Stars, but for a rebuilding team with holes on their roster this is the kind of shopping this team should be doing.

The list is mostly fringey relievers, but there are also a couple of position players and potential starting pitching options that are available. Of the 39 free agents, here are three that could contribute to Detroit’s 25-man roster in 2019.

Tyler Lyons

At 30, Lyons might be a tad old for this rebuilding Detroit Tigers team. However, he’s had more big league success than everyone else that became available, and the Tigers could certainly use more left-handed pitching.

Lyons has spent his entire big league career with the Cardinals after getting selected in the ninth round of the 2010 MLB draft. He made his big league debut in 2013. After two average seasons, Lyons really hit his stride in 2015.

From 2015-2017, Lyons posted a 3.33 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP with a 9.7 K/9 across 162 innings. Things really felt apart in 2018 however, as he only mustered an 8.64 ERA and a 1.92 WHIP in 16.2 innings.

Lyons has served in middle relief his entire career, although as one might expect he has fared better against left-handers in his career. He has held lefties to a .201/.286/.320 line, with a 9.46 K/9 and a 1.06 WHIP.

Detroit could certainly consider buying low on Lyons and seeing if he can compete with Daniel Stumpf to be Detroit’s LOOGY. Stumpf didn’t have a great year, although he was similarly effective against fellow left-handers. Still, Lyons has the track record to win that job – or pitch in the bullpen alongside Stumpf if fellow left-hander Blaine Hardy is either let go or added to the starting rotation.

Drew Hutchison

Does anyone else remember when Hutchison went 13-5 with the 2015 Toronto Blue Jays, despite a 5.57 ERA? Good(?) times. Anyway, Hutchison is a pending free agent and while his 2018 numbers weren’t great, he has shown enough in the last few seasons to merit consideration as a minor league free agent who could compete for the No. 5 spot in the rotation. He also has the flexibility to be a starter at Triple-A, or a swingman for the big club if needed.

After his odd 2015 season, Hutchison spent 2016 pitching well at Triple-A before he ended up with the Pirates. He spent all of 2017 in Triple-A, earning a 3.56 ERA and a 7.00 K/9. 2018 saw him pitch meaningful big league innings, split between the Dodgers and the Rangers.

All told he threw 42.2 innings in 16 appearances (five starts). His 6.75 ERA was higher than his 6.54 K/9, which is never a good sign.

However, he had a 2.14 ERA in 42 Triple-A innings, so if nothing else Hutchison would be a solid rotation piece at Toledo who could come up in a pinch and provide decent innings. This team dealt with Ryan Carpenter last season, so Hutchison would at least be better than that.

The Detroit Tigers have plenty of ways to improve their roster before the 2019 season. These are just a few options that GM Al Avila and his team could consider.