3 takeaways from Detroit Tigers end of season press conference

3. How the Tigers may address free agency

When Harris was asked about if Eduardo Rodriguez opts out of his contract, how would Detroit address that, this is what he said.

"We have another month, we're going to take all the time that we can to beat up every decision from every angle. We are going to be very active this off-season, and we're, as far as exactly what we're going to do and the specific positions we're going to target, we have another month.""

Scott Harris

"The way their contracts were structured, they (referring to Javier Baez as well) have a decision to make, we don't have a decision to make as an organization. It is their decision given, the way that their contract has been structured, we don't anticipate any conversations prior to their decision, there haven't been any, and I don't plan on having any between now and those decisions. "

Detroit has seen strides in their farm system as Sawyer Gipson-Long and Reese Olson emerged as potential starters in 2024 with Ty Madden, Brant Hurter and a few others who saw a rise in their strikeout numbers in 2023. But across the board, the Tigers will have to address several positions, whether internally or via trades.

The money is off the books from Miguel Cabrera but when it came to addressing in how it will be spent, Harris said this:

"We can spend to complement a core. We can’t spend to build a core. That’s not a viable strategy in this market. We are going to walk the line of being active in free agency and trades to find outside additions that can help us without blocking our young players."

Scott Harris

In other words, while Detroit may be cautious with their spending, the strong finish to the season has set fan expectations for active offseason moves to improve the team. The onus is now on Harris and his staff to continue developing Detroit into a playoff contender, particularly given the relatively weak competition in the AL Central for 2024.

Follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @rogcastbaseball