Detroit Tigers: 4 options to replace Gregory Soto as the team's closer in 2023

Who will be the Detroit Tigers' closer in 2023 now that Gregory Soto has been traded?

Gregory Soto had been the Detroit Tigers' closer the last two seasons, pitching 124 innings, racking up a 3.34 ERA and 48 saves in 52 chances. He was an All-Star in both seasons.

This past weekend, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. The 27-year-old had three years of control left. The Phillies will likely not use him as a closer with the likes of Seranthony Dominguez, Jose Alvarado, and Craig Kimbrel in their bullpen, but he'll still be a very useful arm for them.

The Tigers' bullpen, which was ranked eighth in the majors in ERA in 2022, has undergone massive turnover this offseason. Soto, Joe Jimenez, and Andrew Chafin are all gone, though Chafin could technically still return, as could Michael Fulmer.

With all those pieces gone, this bullpen is going to look much different in 2023. The team doesn't have a true closer anymore. With Soto gone, let's take a look at some in-house options to replace him as the Tigers' closer.

Alex Lange

If we're going purely off the reliever with the best stuff, it's gotta be Alex Lange. That fastball/curveball combination of his is utterly disgusting. He was his issues with control as well, but he's more consistent than Soto was.

He'll mix in a changeup as well, making him even more lethal. He had 3.41 ERA and 11.65 K/9 in 63.1 IP in 2022.

Want to know just how nasty he is? He led the league in whiff rate in 2022. He was also near the top of the league in chase rate and average exit velocity according to Baseball Savant. Simply put, when he's on, he's unhittable.

He appeared in a high leverage situation in 42 games last year according to Baseball Reference, and in 98 plate appearances, batters slashed .287/.367/.402 with two home runs. They also struck out 26 times compared to 11 walks. He'll have to improve a bit in those situations, but he's got the stuff to do it.

Will Vest

Vest is probably the next best option. He actually closed a game last year and got a save against Baltimore in mid-May. Overall, had a 4.00 ERA and struck out 63 batters in 63 innings in 2023.

Vest is mostly fastball/slider, but he will mix in a changeup from time to time. His velocity was actually a couple ticks up from 2021, averaging over 95 mph on his heater compared to 93.6 mph in 2021.

He didn't get a lot of high leverage work in 2022, so it's hard to gauge just how good he'd be in the closer's role. One thing's for sure: he lives for the dramatics. In said game against the Orioles where he got the save, he was pretty pumped afterwards.

Vest would be a fun option to close games for the Detroit Tigers in 2023. However, Lange would probably the better option.

Closer by committee

This last one might be the most realistic option. A.J. Hinch has mentioned several times that he doesn't really like the term "closer." He prefers to use the best reliever in the right situation. He finally caved and called Gregory Soto the closer last season.

The Tigers are likely to cycle through many relievers in 2023. Guys like Jason Foley, Rony Garcia, Rule 5 selection Mason Englert, Reese Olson, and a slew of others could see some time out of the bullpen.

Hinch will simply gauge the situation based on who's available and make the decision from there. If he needs a strikeout, he'll go to Lange. If he needs a double play ball, he'll go to Foley. If he just needs someone to eat an inning or two, Garcia could be the guy.

The bullpen is going to look a lot different in 2023. Hinch is going to mix and match based on the situation. We may even see multiple relievers with double-digit saves this season. The closer's role isn't as important as it used to be, especially for a team that's not going to contend.

Needless to say, it's going to be an interesting year for the Detroit Tigers' bullpen in 2023.