Tigers better hope 3-headed bullpen monster works after latest Scott Harris move

Here’s the thing about the Detroit Tigers’ offseason so far: if Scott Harris’ master plan is “close your eyes and pray the bullpen saves everything,” then this front office better be really, really sure that its three-headed relief monster is as terrifying as advertised.

Because right now, that appears to be the plan.

Yes, the Tigers signed Kenley Jansen. Yes, that was a real move. A future Hall of Fame closer — even in the twilight years — is nothing to sneeze at. But beyond that? The offseason has mostly been a parade of flyers, NRIs, and “depth” additions.

The latest name rolling off the minor-league conveyor belt is Burch Smith — a 35-year-old right-hander who signed a minor-league deal on Dec. 23 with a spring invite and a $1.5 million carrot if he makes the roster, plus incentives.

Let’s be clear: there is nothing wrong with signing relievers to minor-league deals. Smart teams do it constantly. Pitching depth matters. The problem is when those are the loudest noises your offseason makes. And right now, outside of Jansen, these depth signings have been the headline acts — not the undercard.

The Tigers are clearly leaning into a bullpen identity. On paper, a back-end trio of Jansen, Kyle Finnegan, and insert-hot-hand-reliever-of-the-month can absolutely shorten games. When it works, it's beautiful –– but typically, it only works with teams that layer strong bullpens on top of legitimate lineups or elite player-development pipelines.

The Tigers? They seem to be trying to patch over an incomplete offense and questionable roster depth with bullpen lottery tickets — and that’s where the skepticism creeps in.

Smith’s contract — the most lucrative minor-league deal the Tigers have handed out this winter, mind you — says more about Detroit's offseason than the pitcher himself. It says that the Tigers are bargain shopping, they are counting on internal improvement rather than adding impact bats, and they believe the bullpen can carry games late.

Meanwhile, no middle-of-order bat or major rotation reinforcement has arrived, and there has been no statement move signaling “the window is opening.” Instead, it’s NRIs, depth fliers, and “trust the process.”

Sound familiar? It should. We lived this movie already — it was called The Avila Era: Extended Cut.

Burch Smith signing tells a story of Tigers' unambitious offseason

Look, maybe it works. Maybe Jansen chases 500 saves in style. Maybe Finnegan locks down the eighth. Maybe someone unexpected breaks out, because bullpens are weird like that. But you can’t help notice the margin for error shrinking. If the lineup stalls? If the rotation regresses? If one key reliever slumps? Suddenly, you’re the 2022-23 Tigers again — trying to win 3-2 every night while the offense threatens nobody.

Harris asked for patience. Fans gave it. Young players emerged. The team took a step. The division is winnable. The payroll is flexible. The time for pushing forward seemed obvious.

Instead, the Tigers acted like a fringe bubble team hoping to thread the needle with vibes and bullpen alchemy. That’s not ambition –– that's hedging. And Tigers fans are tired of hedge seasons.

Signing Smith isn’t the problem. The problem is when Burch Smith’s deal becomes symbolic of the entire offseason approach: cautious, frugal, noncommittal and dependent on the bullpen being flawless.

So yeah — the Tigers better hope their three-headed bullpen monster really is the nightmare they’re building it up to be. Because right now, it feels like the front office is staring straight at a winnable division and choosing to whisper instead of roar.