Detroit Tigers Winter Meetings preview: 3 positions that need to be addressed

2. The Detroit Tigers need a centerfielder or right fielder

The Detroit Tigers are on the hunt for a right-handed hitting outfielder, and considering their desperation for improvement on offense, it should be a point of emphasis next week during the Winter Meetings.

No, they will not end up signing Aaron Judge, but following the trade of veteran Robbie Grossman, there is a pronounced vacancy in right field. Given that both Austin Meadows and Riley Greene are left-handed bats, it makes sense to favor a right-handed outfielder to complement those two. Greene does currently hold the centerfield stable and could do so again next year, but most believe that with age, Greene is destined for a corner outfield spot ultimately.

Going for a true centerfielder would allow someone like Greene to shift to a corner and perhaps further mask the defensive shortcomings of Meadows in spacious Comerica Park--but it remains to be seen if the Tigers would consider such a strategy.

There are some intriguing routes the Tigers could take. Cody Bellinger is a name that has gained traction among the fanbase as a possible buy-low candidate, but Bellinger's market is thought to be strong despite a down year and ultimate non-tender by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Wil Myers is another possibility, but he has not hit over 18 home runs in a season since 2017. Myers, though, fits the mold a bit better, considering he's right-handed, sprays the ball all over the field, runs well, defends well, and could even be a contingency option at first base if Spencer Torkelson is deemed unprepared for MLB play.

Another former Padre that some have projected to the Tigers is Jurickson Profar, who, like Myers, doesn't possess the power attributes typically requisite for a corner outfielder but showed strong on-base ability with low strikeout numbers in 2022 for San Diego. Defensive metrics don't take kindly to Profar in left field, however, so it is difficult to imagine him improving in right--a position he played zero games at in 2022.