Bleacher Report's free agency replacements for Tigers offer bit of a 'same difference' vibe

The Tigers do not need a second baseman in free agency. They could use a bat, sure, but the position player they get — if they get one at all — shouldn't be an infielder. The picture on the left side of the infield is as crowded as it gets, with Hao-Yu Lee, Max Anderson, Kevin McGonigle, John Peck, Javy Báez, Colt Keith, and Zach McKinstry all options for second through third.

That hasn't stopped experts and aggregators from predicting that the Tigers will sign a second baseman. This year's free agent market has a few of them toward the top, with Jazz Chisholm, Brandon Lowe, and Luis Arraez all in the mix.

Chisholm has already been "linked" to the Tigers to varying degrees. At this point, writers are taking a cursory glance at Detroit's roster and 2027 payroll and arguing that they could use an upgrade. Maybe that's true, but it's missing a key piece of context: Scott Harris won't block his prospects.

Bleacher Report is the latest to connect a second baseman to the Tigers; in this case, Arraez. He's been named a potential fit for Detroit before, but it's simply not going to happen.

Their other option for the Tigers, though, in Raisel Iglesias, is a more appropriate fit.

Bleacher Report names Luis Arraez and Raisel Iglesias potential fits for Tigers

Arraez won't be as expensive as Chisholm, but he still figures to make anywhere between $48-60 million over three years, according to MLB Trade Rumors, ESPN, and The Athletic. Someone would probably love to get him on a deal like that, but Detroit doesn't need a slap-hitter who will block Lee and Anderson.

Iglesias could've been a decent fit for the Tigers last offseason over Kenley Jansen, but he ended going back to the Braves on a one-year, $16 million contract. He pitched 60 innings for a 2.55 ERA and picked up the first All-Star nod of his 12-year career.

Given his age, it's unlikely that he goes off the market for much more than $16 million despite his strong performance. In fact, he might go for even less. A deal like that would make a lot more sense for a Tigers team that needs the bullpen reinforcement and doesn't like to sign players, especially pitchers, to particularly long-term pacts.

We all need to stop trying to make a second baseman to Detroit happen, but we'll take any bullpen help we can get.

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