Detroit Tigers: 4 players to target in free agency this winter

4 players for the Detroit Tigers to consider this winter.

The Detroit Tigers may have shifted to off-season mode with their season concluding, but free agency does not start until five days after the World Series concludes. After that, players deemed free agents can sign wherever they want, and free agency opens up.

It's not as cutthroat as other sports like Hockey, where on July 1st each year, all hell breaks loose on the free agent market. For the Detroit Tigers, they have a chance to make some upgrades to the roster ahead of the 2024 season.

The Tigers need to make changes. While some folks are going to be delusional and expect the Tigers to make some massive wholesale changes, it will be another off-season where Scott Harris finds value in subtle areas. If Harris can make affordable and effective improvements, it'll be a win.

That being said, do not expect the Tigers to be lining up to sign Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Nola. It's early, and things could change. Who knows, maybe the Tigers get bold and make a run at one of the bigger free agents on the market.

But, the writing on the wall for how Harris operates will err on the side of cheap improvements to buy some more time. Harris is still enacting changes and bringing in players he feels are part of the solution.

With that in mind, let's talk through some players that the Detroit Tigers should consider signing this winter to help bolster the roster for the 2024 season. It's early, so these are a couple of early predictions, but these are a few names that might pique the interest of Harris and the front office.

Detroit Tigers could consider adding Paul DeJong.

There's a caveat to this one, but if the Detroit Tigers are looking for a shortstop, it's worth considering Paul DeJong. If Javier Báez opts out and hits the free-agent market, the team will need to find a replacement up the middle.

If they want to take a cheap route, hoping to find someone who will stick for the time being, the Detroit Tigers should consider adding DeJong. The 30-year-old shortstop is a right-handed bat who spent the last seven seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals before being traded to the Toronto Blue Jays at the deadline.

He was then released by Toronto and added by the San Francisco Giants. DeJong played in a total of 112 games last summer, where he accumulated 400 plate appearances. He slashed .207/.258/.355 with 13 doubles, a triple, and 14 home runs, managing 38 RBI as well. DeJong had 21 walks and 121 strikeouts to his credit.

He may not be the same player he was in 2019 when he was an all-star, but for the Tigers, he needs to be serviceable. If the Tigers want a cheap option to help bolster down the infield if Báez does opt out, it's worth considering.

The numbers in 2023 were not the most exciting given DeJong's past, but if Detroit brings him in, he could slide in at shortstop and allow for them to rotate in some of their bench bats or prospects, with hopes that the bat comes back around with less pressure on him in the Motor City.

Detroit Tigers should consider investing in Jack Flaherty.

If the Detroit Tigers lose out on Eduardo Rodriguez this off-season, they may want to add another arm with big-league experience who can help bolster the rotation. While E-Rod is a southpaw, they may have to bring in another right-hander to help batten down the hatches.

A lefty may be the probable option; it's early, and we're making simple speculations for the Detroit Tigers off-season. That said, the team should consider bringing in Jack Flaherty to see if he can "find it" as part of the Tigers rotation.

Flaherty was one of the premier up-and-coming arms in the league a few years back while with the St. Louis Cardinals organization. But things did not work out. By way of injuries and some struggles on the mound, Flaherty has not quite been the same. Why not take a flier on him?

The Cardinals moved Flaherty this summer, hoping to recoup some value. They traded him to Baltimore to help bolster the Orioles' rotation down the stretch. Flaherty made 27 starts with two relief appearances in 2023.

Flaherty accumulated 144.1 innings pitched, managing a 4.99 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP. He walked 66 while striking out 148 opposing hitters between his time with the two ballclubs this summer.

At one point, Flaherty was someone who could contend for a Cy Young award. While the 28-year-old has yet to get back to that level of performance, he's still better than some of the arms the Tigers have run out there. It's worth at least exploring the idea of bringing in Flaherty.

Detroit Tigers could add another Maton by signing Phil Maton.

While it may not be some crazy move or one that gets a ton of attention, the Detroit Tigers should consider adding in Phil Maton to join the squad. The Tigers already have Nick Maton, who's the younger brother of Phil, so why not reunite the two?

Phil Maton has proven to be a serviceable relief option over the past few years, finding his way with the Houston Astros. He may not be the shutdown option, the closer, or even the high-leverage guy, but he's serviceable out of the bullpen.

For the Tigers, having serviceable relievers is important, and Maton could come in to fill that role, or at least one of the team's bullpen arms. In 2023, Maton pitched in 68 games, accumulating 66.0 innings of work for the Astros. He pitched to a 3.00 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, and 25 walks with 74 strikeouts to his credit.

Maton may not be the huge addition that the Tigers need, but he's worth considering. After all, his brother is with the Tigers organization, and he should be an affordable relief arm to add to the Tigers bullpen for the 2024 campaign.

The Tigers have plenty of time to start honing in on free agents. These four mentioned are just a couple of them that the Tigers should check in on as the winter comes into focus.