Detroit Tigers: 3 moves that still need to get done now that Winter Meetings are over

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The Winter Meetings have come to an end. It was one of the most boring meetings in recent memory. Nothing happened until the very last minute. It's hard to be upset with the Detroit Tigers and Scott Harris for not doing anything because most teams didn't do anything.

The good news is there's still plenty of time left this offseason to get things done. The bad news is, there's still a lot of work to be done.

Today, we're going to list out three moves that still need to be done now that the winter meetings are over. These won't be specific player acquisitions, rather it will be positions that need to be addressed, and players that would be good fits.

We've got a lot of ground to cover, so it's time to get started.

1. An impact bat

This has been priority No. 1 for the entire offseason, and it should remain that way until an impact bat is acquired. The Tigers' offense was better in 2023 than it was in 2022, but needless to say, that's a pretty low bar to clear.

What made the 2023 offense so bad was they could not hit with runners in scoring position. Even if they were average, or even slightly below average, they wouldn't have been nearly as bad.

What's a good way to deal with that? Simply by acquiring better hitters. Mark Canha is a decent start, but they're going to need more than that. The less Matt Vierling comes up to the plate in clutch situations, the better.

Since the free agent market is pretty barren in the hitting department, Harris will have to swing a trade here. I know trading with the Rays is something we don't like to talk about around these parts, but they have some infielders that could be on the move.

Yandy Diaz is a veteran that's coming off a a 164 wRC+ and 4.7 fWAR season. He's signed through 2025 with a club option for 2026. He's 32, but he's been kind of a late bloomer. He might cost a lot, but the bat would be worth it.

Most recently, an old friend has come up in trade talks: Isaac Paredes. Remember him? Yeah, we're not going to talk about the trade that sent him to Tampa. But for whatever reason, the Rays appear to be shopping their 24-year-old third baseman who hit 31 home runs and generated 4.3 fWAR a season ago.

This would not be an easy trade to pull off, but it's something Harris needs to consider. This would be one of those calculated risks he went on about in his opening press conference.

If the Tigers are serious about contending next year, they'll add an impact bat sometime in the next two months.

2. Bullpen help

The bullpen is in much worse shape than most people realize. The Tigers could use another reliever capable of pitching in high-leverage situations, and they desparately need another lefty.

There are still some options lefty on the free agent market, but they are getting slim, real fast. Robert Stephenson is a guy who revitalized his career with, you guessed it, the Rays last year. He started throwing a cutter last year, and it worked wonders for him.

In 52.1 IP, he struck out over 13 batters per nine and had a 3.10 ERA. He was able to keep the walks down too, for the most part. He would be a great addition to the Tigers bullpen.

For lefties, we're still all for an Andrew Chafin reunion. He struggled with command at times last year, but Chris Fetter knows how to get the best out of him from Chafin's time with the Tigers in 2022.

Aaron Loup could be another option. The numbers weren't great last year, but he outpitched his FIP by over a run and a half. The .373 BABIP suggests there was definitely some bad luck involved.

He didn't throw his cutter as much last season, instead throwing his fastball more often. Chris Fetter's specialty is having pitchers throw their best pitch as often as they can, so this could be something where he works his magic once again.

The reliever market is starting to dry up. If Harris wants to make any meaningful additons to the bullpen, he's going to have to act fast.

3. Starting pitcher

The Tigers could really use another starter to help fill out the rotation — preferably one with a history of pitching a lot of innings. Here's where there's still plenty of options left in free agency.

For starters, the Japanese imports — Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shota Imanaga — should be at the top of their list. Yamamoto will cost much more, but he'd be worth every penny. Imanaga is no slouch, either. Either one would be a heck of a get.

Domestically, there are still some pitchers worth taking a look at. Eduardo Rodriguez is off the market after signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks. More on him soon.

Lucas Giolitio and Frankie Montas are interesting bounce back candidates. Giolito has a history of being a workhorse, but gave up a ton of hard contact last year. Montas is coming off an injury-riddled stint with the Yankees, but his stuff is nasty.

The opportunity to add more starting pitcher is there. Will Scott Harris and company take advantage? Only time will tell.

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1. An impact bat

2. Bullpen help

3. Starting pitcher

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