What’s The Detroit Tigers Next Move With Matt Boyd Being Non-Tendered?

What’s the Detroit Tigers Next Move With Matthew Boyd Being Non-Tendered?

Matthew Boyd’s 7-year tenure with the Detroit Tigers seems to be coming to end. On November 28th, Tigers beat writers announced that the club and Boyd have mutually agreed to let him test out the free-agent market.

Now with Matthew Boyd gone, it leaves an open rotation spot for the Tigers. So what does the future hold for the Tigers and their rotation?

Matthew Boyd had a very up-and-down career in Detroit. His best year was 2019, when he finished with a 4.56 ERA and struck out 238 hitters in 185.1 innings. Boyd was also a great locker room guy for the Tigers, and an exemplary person off the field.

But, with an arm injury expected to keep Boyd out of action for at least a few months, both parties agreed it was time to move on. Here you can see Boyd’s final numbers after his 7 years with the Tigers:

What are the rotation possibilities for the Detroit Tigers?

The Tigers are now left with a potential open rotation spot, and it has been speculated they might be interested in adding another starting pitcher. The question is, who?

One player the Tigers could go after, and my personal choice, is Marcus Stroman. Stroman is a 30-year-old right-hander who has been very vocal about his free agency. Stroman has come out and said that he will not be returning to the Mets and will not be going to the Yankees, meaning he will be finding a brand new home this offseason.

Stroman finished the 2021 season with a 3.02 ERA, 3.49 FIP, and a 3.95 SIERRA. Stroman hasn’t been getting as much attention as many thought, so now with an open spot and having a very pitcher-friendly park, Marcus Stroman could be the next addition to the Tigers.

Another option could be Tyler Anderson, who will be 32 for the 2022 season and could be an interesting pickup for the Tigers, for the right price.

Anderson finished with middling numbers last year, with a 4.53 ERA, 4.37 FIP, and 4.57 SIERRA. Now, none of those numbers are gonna blow you away, but that was while playing in Pittsburgh and Seattle, two not-so-friendly pitcher parks. Coming to Detroit and working with Chris Fetter could do wonders for Anderson, and he is someone to definitely keep an eye out for.

The last player I think could be on the Tiger’s radar actually isn’t a free agent. That player is Sonny Gray. The Tigers and Reds have already done business this offseason with the Tucker Barnhart trade. So could Al Avila and the Tigers go back and work out a deal and get one of their pitchers?

Gray has always been a consistent pitcher, would be a great veteran presence to go along with Eduardo Rodriguez, and has an established relationship with his former teammate Tucker Barnhart.

Gray is 32 and had a pretty good 2021, putting up a 4.19 ERA, 3.99 FIP, and a 3.85 SIERRA. Now what the Reds would want for Gray is a big question mark. But it wouldn’t or shouldn’t be too expensive. A deal probably would need to involve INF Isaac Paredes or Willi Castro and another prospect or two.

But, if the Tigers were to obtain Gray he will only be making 10.7 million a year which would be a little more than Anderson would most likely get, but also a good amount cheaper than Stroman who is expected to get about 20-23 million AAV.

Matthew Boyd was a great guy here in Detroit, and it is sad to see him go. But, I do believe it was the right move and it is time for the Tigers to find a suitable replacement before it is too late.

The three players listed above are my personal choices for the Tigers to go out and grab to replace Boyd. It’s easy to speculate what teams might do, but hard to be right.

But, if you are a Detroit Tigers fan, I would be on the lookout these next few days because I expect whoever the Tigers decide to sign will be announced before the work stoppage on December 1st.