4 dream Tigers free agent targets this offseason that would drive fans wild

Before the Detroit Tigers front office decides not to spend any money or make any significant changes, let's indulge ourselves a little, shall we? Say that the Tigers become magically endowed with all the money Chris Ilitch can spend, and then he actually spends it. Suspend your disbelief, let go of your well-earned pessimism surrounding Tigers management for a moment and let yourself drift off into dreamland.

Even if Shohei Ohtani wasn't this year's headliner, this free agent class would be a fun one to watch, with a lot of players who also deserve to make a lot of money and will do a lot of good for the teams they end up with. If the Tigers had the pick of the lot and all of the other 29 teams just faded away and let them woo every player they wanted without competition, which ones would Detroit target?

Here are 4 dream Tigers free agent targets this offseason that would drive fans wild

An honorable mention goes to JD Martinez, who spent four great years in Detroit, despite being hampered by an injury toward the end, and is a free agent this year in the twilight of his career. It would be a lot of fun to see him back in a Tigers uniform for his last year or two and give him some more time in a city that still has a lot of fondness for him. Here are four more free agents who would do the Tigers franchise a whole lot of good, even if they only come to Detroit in our dreams.

Jordan Montgomery

Lefty starters don't make up a huge number in the free agent pool, but Jordan Montgomery would have a great case as one of the highest-earning, most sought after of them even if there were more. Coming off of a World Series win and some remarkable performances to help the Texas Rangers get there, Monty would be the perfect lefty replacement for a departing Eduardo Rodriguez, who unsurprisingly opted out of his contract almost as soon as he could.

Montgomery finished 2023 with a 2.79 ERA in the regular season and 2.90 in the postseason, and it's stayed under 4.00 since 2021. He proved himself not only as an effective October presence but as a man for all seasons. In joining the Tigers, he would move the team's net loss of lefties back to zero, which they're desperately in need of. Without Rodriguez, Tarik Skubal will be the lone lefty in the Tigers' inconsistent rotation, and its pitching staff will only have four total.

The Tigers pitching staff has a lot of potential — Skubal immediately comes to mind — but without E-Rod, they lack a proven, scary presence on the mound. Monty is starting to get one, if he's not already there. Adding him would give them an Opening Day ace who, barring disaster, would be able to pitch 150+ innings over the course of the season.

Matt Chapman

Of the free agent third basemen, Matt Chapman is by far the best. A four-time Gold Glover (having just won his fourth on Nov. 5) and AL Player of the Month in April with a 3.5 fWAR in 2023, Chapman would be the best pickup for the Tigers' rotating door of a third base spot.

Detroit didn't see a true, everyday third baseman at the position in pretty much all of 2023; Opening Day featured Ryan Kriedler at third base, followed by utility men Nick Maton and Zach McKinstry for a time, second baseman Jonathan Schoop, center fielder Matt Vierling on the last day of the season, and so on.

Chapman is a tried and true third baseman who is able to make difficult plays at third look routine and is also a doubles machine (he set a career record in 2023 with 39, tied for sixth in the league with former Tiger Jeimer Candelario), as well as the second most valuable position player on the Blue Jays in fWAR after Bo Bichette. His experience and consistency would also make him an example in a Detroit clubhouse that feels in need of leadership after Miguel Cabrera's departure.

At 30, Chapman definitely has a few more years in him, which would give the Tigers a real, solid third baseman for a while until No. 2 prospect Colt Keith makes his way through Triple-A and can ingratiate himself into the big league team. The Athletic predicts Chapman's next contract at six years, $127 million. Given that Javier Baez is making $140 million over six years, the Tigers really should give a better player a good deal to try to recover a bit of their pride.

Shohei Ohtani

We all know that there's no way Shohei Ohtani will end up with the Tigers. It feels pretty unlikely that he'll come anywhere near the Midwest at all. But while we're dreaming, we might as well dream big, right?

It doesn't feel like an exaggeration to say that Shohei Ohtani's presence in Detroit would singlehandedly revitalize the franchise. That's not to say that the Tigers would turn into a winning team overnight because of him — the Angels have already proved that even two generational talents does not a good team make — but it would bring a lot of hope to a franchise that's been downtrodden for 10 years. That might sound a bit quaint, but having something or someone to make the future look a little brighter is not unimportant for building and maintaining a fan base. Miguel Cabrera is gone, and Tigers fans deserve to have someone to believe in, someone's jersey to be excited about wearing.

Of course, sentimentality is not everything, and a very good argument could be made that says it's not much at all. But what's left to say about Shohei Ohtani's game that we don't already know? Every hyperbolic statement you've ever heard about him isn't really hyperbole. He's a shoo-in for AL MVP, despite injury ending his season early. He's one of the most special players to ever play the game, and if he manages to keep playing two ways for a good portion of his career, he'll be the most special player to ever play the game.

In Tigers terms, Ohtani could slide in easily into DH. Kerry Carpenter actually had a pretty good year at DH, with a .278 ERA and 20 home runs, but he could also move into an outfield that has shuffled a lot and has featured a struggling Akil Baddoo more than it should.

While we're dreaming, let's also indulge into some screaming into the void too. Shohei Ohtani, please come to Detroit. We promise you unlimited Superman ice cream and all of our love.

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