Detroit Tigers: 4 mistakes from last offseason that Scott Harris can't repeat

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Scott Harris' first season as Tigers president of baseball operations was very hit-and-miss. He had some victories, such as Tyler Holton, and Andy Ibanez to a lesser extent. But there were also a lot of misses, like not trading Eduardo Rodriguez at the trade deadline.

Most of his mistakes came during his first offseason. To say he played it safe would be an understatement. The only additions to the big league roster during the offseason were Matt Vierling, Nick Maton, Michael Lorenzen, and Matthew Boyd. There were other minor league signings and waiver claims that ended up making the big league roster at some point, but those were the only direct upgrades he made last offseason.

If the Tigers plan on being competitive in 2024, Harris can't afford to do that again. He's off to a good start with the trade for Mark Canha, but that can't be the headliner. The Tigers still have plenty of holes to fill. There's still a lot of work to be done.

It's time to go over four mistakes from last offseason that Scott Harris cannot repeat. Let's go.

Neglecting third base

This remains the most puzzling decision from last offseason. The Tigers nontendered Jeimer Candelario, which was fine, but they did nothing to replace him. A cast of AAAA players filled that hole in 2023, and the results were putrid.

Tigers' third baseman combined for a 72 wRC+ and a -1.0 fWAR in 2023. The latter was tied for the third-worst in baseball. They HAVE to find some sort of solution at the position this offseason, even if it's just for the short-term.

It doesn't really matter if the solution comes from the outside, or from within. They just need to find some stability at the hot corner.

It sounds like Colt Keith may end up playing second base long term, so he may not be the answer. Justyn-Henry Malloy probably isn't it either as he'll likely play somewhere in the outfield. So bringing in some outside help is probably the better solution.

This is the No. 1 need for the Tigers this offseason — finding a third baseman. It has to be Scott Harris' top priority. He can't make the same mistake he made last year.

Neglecting a bottom-five offense

This goes hand-in-hand with the first one. The Tigers offense was better this season, but that's not saying much. There was nowhere to go but up after a historically bad 2022.

The Tigers were still in the bottom five in most offensive categories in 2023, even bottom three in some cases. There were some strides, but there's still a lot of work to be done.

Harris did virtually nothing last offseason to address the offense. Vierling and Maton did not move the needle whatsoever. He needs to make at least one major addition to the lineup this offseason.

Again, Mark Canha is a good start, and an encouraging sign. But the Tigers need more. They can compete for the AL Central in 2024. They just need some quality big league talent to fill out the lineup.

Patchworking the bullpen

The Detroit Tigers had a top-10 bullpen by ERA in 2022. Michael Fulmer, Joe Jimenez, Andrew Chafin, and Alex Lange led the charge for the best Tigers bullpen in recent memory.

Most of those pieces either left in free agency or were traded last offseason. To replace them, Harris brought in a bunch of journeyman and reclamation projects to fill out the bullpen. Guys like Trey Wingenter, Chasen Shreve, and Tyler Holton came in and carved out roles for themselves.

Things ended up being okay, but it was a disaster at the beginning of the season. The first two weeks were a complete dumpster fire. Nobody in that bullpen could throw strikes or hold a lead. The Tigers started 2-9 largely because they couldn't close out games.

Luckily, again, things stabilized a bit, but the bullpen still wasn't nearly as good as it was in 2022. Harris cannot build a makeshift bullpen again. The Tigers have to have some horses back there in 2024. They need a another arm, preferably two, that can pitch in leverage situations.

One of A.J. Hinch's biggest strengths is his bullpen management. Harris needs to take advantage of that.

Being afraid to spend

Yeah, you all knew this was coming. Everything we've discussed up to this point comes back to spending money on this team.

Harris has said time and time again that he has the resources to put a winning team on the field. Yet, he doesn't really use all of them. It almost feels like he's trying to prove to everyone that he can field a winning team with a low payroll.

All this talk about how "they can't spend to build a core," when Dave Dombrowski has done just that with at least three different teams now, and how "spending can set the team back," ($$$) when Harris hasn't even tried spending a significant amount of money yet.

Well, here's his chance.

The Tigers have a ton of payroll room to work with this offseason. They could sign two big name free agents — let's say Matt Chapman and Aaron Nola for simplicity sake — and still have plenty of money left over.

Harris could also take on a big contract via trade. Manny Machado could be available this offseason, as the Padres are trying to shed payroll. He doesn't have to spend big on the free agent market.

One of my biggest criticisms of Harris was that he hasn't taken any risks. He talked about taking calculated risks at his opening press conference, but has yet to take any real risks at all.

It's time to change that. Harris can't be afraid to make a wrong move. This team will stay mediocre for a long time if he keeps trying to play it safe.

It's time to be aggressive. Make some moves. Sign a big name in free agency. Do something, ANYTHING bold. This team cannot afford another boring offseason.

Next. 1 trade candidate from every MLB team for the Tigers to consider. 1 trade candidate from every MLB team for the Tigers to consider. dark

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Neglecting third base

Neglecting a bottom-five offense

Patchworking the bullpen

Being afraid to spend

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