3 former Detroit Tigers we'd love to see return in free agency

Joe Jimenez

Joe Jimenez finally figured it out for the Detroit Tigers in 2022, having a career season. He was traded to the Braves the following offseason for Malloy and LHP Jake Higgenbotham, and picked up right where he left off.

He was one of the more reliable arms for Atlanta in 2023, posting a 3.04 ERA and 11.66 K/9 while keeping the walks down for the second straight year. He had struggled with the long ball at times, which was a problem in Detroit as well, but he was still very good for a team that needed a good arm out of the bullpen.

He was very good in high-leverage situations as well, as opposing hitters had just a .553 OPS against him in those situations this season. That's an area the Tigers need help in. He was a great safety valve in those situations in 2022, and we'd love to seem in those situations again for the Tigers in 2024.

Unlike J.D. Martinez, we could easily see this happening. The Tigers need a reliever that pitch effectively in leverage, and Joe Jimenez can do that. He's also familiar with Chris Fetter and the rest of the pitching staff. He'd be a great fit.