3 possible moves remaining this offseason for the Detroit Tigers
Scott Harris believes the offseason is not done for the Detroit Tigers--three moves they could make before the season begins
The Detroit Tigers are steadily changing the complexion of their roster. After cutting bait with Willi Castro, Harold Castro, and Jeimer Candelario among others, they have began the process of establishing a slew of bench and minor league depth that has not existed in years' past. To do so, they have leveraged the waiver wire, the Rule 5 draft, and trades to create a new identity moving forward.
The level of activity has been a minor disappointment to fans, who were told this offseason would be a busy one. While I'm sure Harris' weekly waiver claims and designations have kept him and his front office busy this winter, it isn't exactly the type of activity fans were anticipating--coming off a season in which all of their top prospects were in the major leagues: Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize, Matt Manning, Spencer Torkelson, and Riley Greene.
Still, they have managed to sign two free agent starters in Matthew Boyd and Michael Lorenzen, trade Joe Jimenez for Justyn-Henry Malloy and Jake Higginbotham (minors), and trade Gregoy Soto and Kody Clemens for Nick Maton, Matt Vierling, and Donny Sands--the former two of which figure to be penciled in for an opening day roster spot in 2023.
Leading up to the Soto and Clemens trade, there were questions abound about how the Tigers were going to address right field and at least one of their infield spots, depending on if they intended to leave Jonathan Schoop at second base or move him to third; an adjustment largely built on the new shift rules which will go into effect in 2023. They addressed many of those questions in one swoop, adding the right-handed hitting Vierling to the outfield, left-handed hitting Maton to the infield, and adding some catching depth in the event Jake Rogers isn't quite ready this spring following his Tommy John surgery.
Harris, though, may have another move up his sleeve:
'We are still hard at work trying to make the team better. Whether that manifests in a trade of free-agent signing, I can't say right now. But we're working really hard on it, and we feel like the offseason isn't over.'
But what could be in the cards still for a team that has already addressed their major needs and has established plenty of pitching depth to sustain a season? Let's examine.
1. The Detroit Tigers trade LHP Eduardo Rodriguez
As previously stated, the club as it stands has more than enough starters with big league experience to get them through. Injuries are a given during any spring training, but on paper as it stands, the Tigers will feature Eduardo Rodriguez, Spencer Turnbull, Matt Boyd, Matt Manning, and Michael Lorenzen in their rotation, with Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize both expected arrive in 2023 at some point, too.
Beyond that, they have Joey Wentz, Beau Brieske, Alex Faedo, Rony Garcia, Tyler Alexander, and Garrett Hill--all of whom have big league starting pitcher experience, and some of whom have thrived in the role. It's assumed multiple arms end up in the bullpen to start the year assuming health, but all of these names could start on any given day, which leaves the Tigers in a position where they can trade from their depth.
Eduardo Rodriguez was one of the shiny free agent signings then-GM Al Avila brought in following the 2021 season. Rodriguez pitched well when he was on the mound, but an injury that morphed into an unpaid leave for some time--leaving a taste of frustration and confusion in fans' mouths.
Rodriguez is scheduled to earn $14 million in 2023 according to Spotrac, which he should outperform as long as he's able to stay healthy and exceed his 17 starts in 2022, which would make him attractive to contenders looking for depth following the free agent frenzy.
The only downside is although Rodriguez was signed to a five-year contract, he does have a player opt-out following the upcoming year, which would diminish his value in trade. In exchange, the Tigers could seek prospect capital or bullpen help. We've written on this subject more extensively at the site here.
2. The Detroit Tigers re-sign LHP Andrew Chafin
Chafin was initially signed to a two-year deal last offseason but he'd ultimately opt out of his final year to test the free agent market following another rock-solid year: 64 games, 57.1 innings, 67 strikeouts, and a 2.83 ERA.
It was smart for Chafin to opt out of his contract when comparing his season and some of the free agent deals that have gone to relievers recently, but midway through January, things are quiet relating to his market. There are more competitive fits on paper for Chafin, but The Sherriff hardly follows any type of conventional thinking. A large factor for Chafin signing in Detroit in the first place was the proximity to his home in Ohio; a box that can still be checked for the Tigers and him.
Harris had mentioned they intended to keep in contact with Chafin's camp following the word of his opt-out, but it remains unclear how they envision the bullpen construction in 2023. Alex Lange, Will Vest, Jason Foley, and Jose Cisnero will all occupy parts of the back end to some capacity; with former starters likely seating the front: some combination of Rony Garcia, Beau Brieske, Tyler Alexander, Joey Wentz, Alex Faedo, and new Rule 5 man Mason Englert.
Chafin would supply a veteran presence and more predictability while also giving them a legitimate lefty specialist. While Alexander is a left-handed pitcher, too, he's likely to remain in his usual mop-up role. It's also worth mentioning that the Tigers did sign lefty Chasen Shreve to a minor league contract in response to Soto's departure and Harris foreshadowed the acquisition by stating they were working on getting a lefty they liked. How much they like Shreve, 32, may play a factor in bringing back Chafin.
3. The Detroit Tigers trade RHP Matt Manning
As we discussed with Rodriguez, the Tigers' depth at starting pitcher makes an arm expendable in the right scenario. With injuries to Mize and Skubal, Manning is most likely their most valuable starter right now, supplying a 3.43 ERA in 12 starts in 2022 with an ERA+ of 111, and pitching particularly well down the stretch before being shut down due to fatigue in his forearm. All reports regarding Manning this offseason point to a full recovery, though, and he's expected to be ready for spring training.
For Manning, the target would be bullpen or offense. The team is likely set in the outfield; with Austin Meadows, Riley Greene, Matt Vierling, Kerry Carpenter, and Eric Haase able to carry the load sufficiently. On the infield, though, the club could still acquire a second baseman or a third baseman. This scenario would allow Maton to be the super utility infielder and give Malloy, Lipcius, and Kreidler some time in Toledo.
Manning is a former top-50 prospect and given his remaining control (four years) and what pitchers have been able to fetch on the open market, the Tigers can be stingy with their ask in trade. The Marlins have positioned themselves similarly and have made it known they are willing to trade their starting pitching, too, which may complicate the market slightly.