Orioles' stunning Pete Alonso contract is what Tigers fans wish Scott Harris would do

The Detroit Tigers' risk-averse, development-first, spend only when absolutely necessary approach has been frequently likened to the strategy the Orioles have employed over the last four years or so. Baltimore, like Detroit, spent the better part of a decade in the doldrums. From 2017-2022, they were the rest of the AL East's punch bag.

But it let them draft high and develop quietly, and that finally paid off into 2023 and 2024, with former top prospects Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Colton Cowser, Coby Mayo, Kyle Stowers, and Jackson Holliday either coming up to the majors or finally finding their groove there. The O's won their division in 2023 and came in second in 2024.

And then it all fell apart in 2025, after a stagnant offseason. The Orioles trusted that their young, high-potential players would just keep getting better, and then they didn't. They returned to the bottom of the AL East and had the seventh-worst record in baseball.

It's forced a course correction for Baltimore owner David Rubenstein and and president of baseball operations Mike Elias. This offseason, the Orioles have been named a team to watch for a number of high-profile free agents.

On Wednesday, they got their guy. They signed Mets slugger Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million deal a day after losing Kyle Schwarber to the Phillies.

It's hard for Tigers fans not to feel a little jealous. This is the kind of pivot and aggression that we want to see out of Scott Harris and Chris Ilitch, but we probably never will.

Tigers should learn a lesson from Orioles' massive Pete Alonso signing, but they probably won't

The Tigers, of course, haven't had the displeasure of experiencing exactly what the Orioles did this year, even if things got dicey at the end of the season. A lot of their key homegrown talent had career-best years, and Harris is confident that they're only going to get better in 2026. In fact, that's his pet excuse for remaining on the sidelines with top free agents or risky blockbuster trades, or only making additions at the margins.

But as Harris also likes to remind Tigers fans: progression isn't linear. What if Detroit's own versions of Henderson, Rutschman, Mayo, and Co. all hit a snag at once for an entire year, just like the Orioles did?

Tigers fans can already hear Harris' answer. The Tigers will just work harder to improve internally. Players will leave in free agency because the Tigers aren't willing to pay them, and on and on it'll go.

Of course, fans don't want to see the 2026 Tigers go the way of the 2025 Orioles, but we still wish something would give Harris and Ilitch the same kick in the pants that Rubenstein and Elias got last year.