Scott Harris just revealed plan for 2026 that must factor into major Tigers changes

The 2025 season was a whirlwind for the Detroit Tigers. From having the best record in baseball to squandering a 15.5-game lead and backing into the playoffs, the Tigers showed both the highs that they can reach as well as the valleys they can plummet to.

Coming off a 2024 campaign where they were the upstart young squad and a pleasant surprise, they moved into new territory with their 2025 performance. They are now contenders, and with that comes expectations. At the same time, despite vanquishing the Cleveland Guardians in the ALWCS, getting bounced by the Seattle Mariners in the ALDS further proved this team has holes that need to be addressed in order to ascend to the next level.

Fortunately, Scott Harris has a plan for Detroit. Unfortunately, it's not one that makes a ton of sense given where the club stands entering the offseason.

Scott Harris' plan for the Tigers' offseason must be layered

Fresh off handing AJ Hinch a contract extension to ensure the well-respected skipper is at the helm of the ship for the long run, Harris dropped some nuggets about what the team will do in the offseason to supplement its roster and give Hinch the most to work with in 2026. The answer was not much.

“I expect the players that posted dominant years in Double-A to factor into our big league team next year," Harris said. "Does that affect what we do this winter? Absolutely, how could it not," he added.

Harris also mentioned needing to "preserve opportunities" for the youngsters while acknowledging that the Tigers will be expected to compete.

Two players he seems to be referring to are the No. 2 prospect in all of baseball, Kevin McGonigle, and the No. 8 overall prospect, Max Clark. He specifically called out McGonigle, who has gotten work at shortstop, second base, and is now getting reps in the Arizona Fall League.

McGonigle and Clark do seem to fit areas of need for the Tigers. With Trey Sweeney proving wholly unreliable and a Jekyll and Hyde-like campaign from Javy Baez, addressing shortstop should be at the top of the list. If Gleyber Torres bolts in free agency, second base will be up there as well. Meanwhile, Detroit's collection of players who got reps at the hot corner posted a 76 wRC+ that ranked 26th in baseball. McGonigle can help, but only at one spot.

Clark might take over eventually for Parker Meadows, who has spent the last two seasons struggling to stay on the field and be productive once he's there. That's to say nothing of the pitching staff. The rotation needs to be solidified behind Tarik Skubal, and the bullpen could use a near-complete makeover.

Other issues in the makeup of the team exist as well. The Tigers were the fourth-most strikeout-prone team in baseball, leading them to pinch-hit for their 2025 home run leader in the postseason, which just seemed absurd.

The fact of the matter is, the Tigers have plenty of good bats, but they don't have that one true impact bat that can put a team over the top. That flaw was exposed in Game 5 of the ALDS when Detroit's two-through-five hitters went a collective 0-23 with 10 strikeouts.

Harris's trade deadline performance was widely panned as he acquired short-term stop gaps that provided marginal improvements at best. With his offseason statements, it seems that even back in July, his plan was to rely heavily on the farm to supplement the 2026 roster.

If he goes through with his plan, he may soon find that in his efforts to keep the window of contention open or as long as possible, the gap is never wide enough for the Tigers to actually sneak through, leaving them in a sort of limbo land where they are good, but not great, and ultimately never bring home the prize.

Balancing youth and high-priced veteran talent is crucial to building a dynasty, but lean too far in either direction and you end up with egg on your face. That's exactly the path Harris seems to be on now. He must supplement his rising stars with top free agents or else the Tigers will be stuck in neutral.