Detroit Tigers Winter Meetings checklist

2. Another starting pitcher

The Tigers got one starting pitcher in Kenta Maeda earlier this week, but they could still use another one. Maeda doesn't have a history of being an innings-eater, so they would be wise to add another starter.

Fortunately, there's still plenty of options on the free agent market. At the top of virtually everyone's list are the Japanese imports, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shota Imanaga. Yamamoto would obviously be amazing, but it just doesn't seem like this front office or ownership is going to shell out the cash for someone like him.

However, Imanaga is far more attainable. While he doesn't have the ace ceiling that Yamamoto has, he would still be a very solid No. 3 in the Tigers rotation. He would essentially be their Eduardo Rodriguez replacement.

Imanaga is a 30-year-old lefty. He doesn't throw very hard, but like most Japanese pitchers, he has a nasty splitter. His strikeouts to walks ratio the last couple of years has just been absurd. It was over 6 in 2022, and was approaching 8 (!!!) this past season in the NPB. The guy is a strike-throwing machine. He perfectly fits what the Tigers want in a pitcher.

If they are unable to get either of the Japanese pitchers, there are still plenty of options domestically. ESPN's Jeff Passan reported the Tigers "had been all over" the mid-tier starting pitching market when the Tigers inked Maeda, so there's a good chance they've done their due diligence on many of these guys.

One guy in particular that I just can't quit, despite the fact that he looked cooked this past year, is Lucas Giolito. He's a guy with swing-and-miss stuff, and has pitched at least 160 innings in every full season since 2018.

However, he gave up a ton of home runs, and hard contact in general last season. Still, he seems like a great project for Chris Fetter. Giolitio has a changeup that he throws everywhere, not just down in the zone. That sounds like something Fetter could optimize.

Then, of course, there's always the trade market. By any means, the Tigers need to get another arm for their rotation.

3. A leverage reliever

One of the things that made the Tigers bullpen so effective in 2022 was that they had multiple guys that could throw in high-leverage situations. Michael Fulmer, Joe Jimenez, Andrew Chafin, Jason Foley, and Alex Lange to a lesser extent all had success pitching in stressful spots.

In 2023, it was just Foley and Tyler Holton. That was about it. Lange had command issues from June onward, and nobody else could get the job done when it mattered most.

A.J. Hinch's biggest strength as a manager is how he manages his bullpen. He loves the cat-and-mouse game. More often than not, he pushes the right buttons. Harris needs to recognize that and get him another leverage reliever, maybe even two.

Sadly, two of my personal favorites are already off the market. The Braves snatched both Joe Jimenez and Reynaldo Lopez earlier this month. Lopez was given about $10 million a year to pitch for Braves. That sounds like a lot for a reliever, but that's what they go for nowadays.

Flamethrower Jordan Hicks is probably the best option still available. He doesn't exactly fit the "dominate the strike zone" mantra, as he's struggled with command his entire career, but he'll get plenty of whiffs on that 100 mph heater.

An Andrew Chafin reunion wouldn't be the worst idea either. The Tigers need another lefty to pair with Holton, and while Chafin struggled with command at times last season, he could be had for cheap, and Fetter knows how to get the best out of him.

Adding one or two relievers to the mix would be very wise of Harris. It would give A.J. Hinch more options to work with, and simply make the Tigers a deeper team.