The Athletic predicts Tigers reunion with free agent pitcher after season with rival

Matthew Boyd has spent eight seasons of his career as a Detroit Tiger. They would've been consecutive if not for the fact that the Tigers non-tendered him after the 2021 season before re-signing him in free agency for the 2023 season.

But Boyd could never really make things work in Detroit, with a career 4.92 ERA as a Tiger over 158 starts.

Bringing him back for 2023 was a bit of questionable decision at the time, given Boyd's past performance and the fact that he was kept to just 13 1/3 innings in his year away due to flexor tendon surgery. He only managed to make 15 starts for the Tigers last year (for a 5.45 ERA) before he got hurt again and had to undergo Tommy John, which ended his season in June.

The Tigers let him go again, and he signed with the division-rival Guardians about halfway into the 2024 season. He started his year on the IL, but the starts he'd be able to make were make-or-break for his career.

And he rose to the challenge. He made eight starts for the Guardians in the regular season and pitched against the Tigers in the ALDS, going 6 2/3 scoreless innings with 10 Ks in a Game 2 that the Tigers took with a three-run homer for Kerry Carpenter off of Emmanuel Clase. Boyd's one LCS start against the Yankees was also almost spotless; he pitched five innings and only gave up two hits and one earned run.

Although he didn't have a lot of time to make his case this year and has a history of injury to contend with, he at least bought himself another year in the majors. Jim Bowden of The Athletic thinks the Tigers might, once again, be the right fit.

The Athletic's Jim Bowden named Detroit as a good fit for free agent and former Tiger Matthew Boyd

It'd certainly be wild to see the Tigers take a third chance on Boyd despite his record in Detroit, but he pitched better during his short stint in Cleveland than he did in eight seasons with the Tigers. Maybe he needed to get over those injury humps before he could really find his ceiling (even though it remains troubling he struggled so much with Detroit).

The Guardians have already expressed interest in keeping Boyd, and he might certainly be better off staying there. His success next season isn't a given, and we didn't see quite enough of him this year to be completely swayed that a reunion is the best idea. If he's still available late into the offseason and the Tigers are looking for another arm, though, it could work.