ESPN's eval of AL Central offseason shows it's wide open and Tigers aren't maximizing

The AL Central is hardly the place to look for exciting offseason action. The division is home to some of the most frugal franchises in baseball and, since all of the teams are considered small markets, the level of spending is unlikely to change any time soon. None of the five teams have done enough to emerge as clear division favorites which, depending on your level of cynicism, is either a good or bad thing for the Tigers.

With a lack of offseason activity all around, the AL Central division is still up for grabs

In a recent article for ESPN, Jesse Rogers evaluated each of the five teams in the division and how much or how little they've done to bolster their rosters heading into 2026.

Surprisingly, the White Sox have been the most active organization, acquiring Munetaka Murakami in free agency and recently completing a trade with the Mets that sent Luis Robert Jr. to New York. These moves should make the team better, but they have a long way to go before being considered postseason threats after they won just 60 games last year.

The other teams in the division, including Detroit, have made smaller moves, but none have made any additions that would make them significantly more competitive than they were last season. This means that the Tigers still have a chance to get out to a head start on the year if they manage to make something happen.

The biggest blocker to their offseason has undoubtedly been the uncertain future of Tarik Skubal. The organization doesn't seem explicitly intent on trading him, but the state of current contract negotiations makes it seem like the two parties aren't remotely on the same page.

Trading their ace looks like it could make the most sense, since the team won't be able to come close to his market price in free agency and adding depth could be a winning strategy for a team with league-average payroll. It could also help replenish the farm system after some of the organization's best prospects begin to steadily graduate out of the minor leagues. They could choose to retain him in his final year of club control, but they'd be left with much tougher trade decisions.

Furthermore, as January draws to a close, the free agents on offer aren't the most enticing, especially since Detroit needs more help with the lineup than they do with their pitching staff. A trade seems like the team's best bet at getting real talent to push them forward without breaking the bank.

In 2025, the Tigers faltered at a chance to win the division for the first time since 2014. Detroit has many of the pieces they need to field a competitive roster and with some additional help, they should be more than capable of seizing the opportunity in front of them. Without extra support, they could be leaving their fate up to chance. After slipping to second place in the eleventh hour last season, fans are hoping for more of a guarantee in this upcoming season.