Tigers' contract details for Drew Anderson revealed and fans are asking questions

If the Tigers thought they were making a big splash by signing KBO import Drew Anderson to a major league deal, it definitely didn't land that way with fans.

We'll give it to him: Anderson put up great numbers in 2025. He pitched 171 2/3 innings to a 2.25 ERA for the SSG Landers, a vast improvement on his previous 115 2/3, 3.89 ERA 2024.

He pitched in the Tigers' minor league system for just about a month in 2024 before he was released to pursue offseason opportunities, and taking him back could mean that they saw potential during his brief stint in the organization and kept tabs on him during his time overseas.

But is re-signing him worth potentially kicking promising rookie Troy Melton out of the rotation? How does it answer the question of what the Tigers will do when they lose three starters — Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, and Casey Mize — to free agency after 2026?

Anderson's full contract details, reported on Monday, at least address that a little bit. He'll receive $7 million for his one guaranteed year, and the Tigers have a $10 million club option for 2026.

Drew Anderson's full Tigers contract details revealed at Winter Meetings

There are still real reasons to be skeptical and even pessimistic about this deal. The Tigers were reportedly interested in proven major league talent to bolster the rotation (namely Ranger Suárez and Michael King) but they pivoted to a cheaper but relatively untested option instead.

It's impossible for Tigers fans not to feel like the front office is just resorting to their usual tactics — scraping the bottom of the barrel and praying they'll be able to squeeze potential out — as if this offseason is just like any other.

The reality is that this is a pivotal offseason for the Tigers. Scott Harris may not believe in a Skubal window (he consistently downplayed Skubal's importance to the team on the second night of the Winter Meetings), but if they're going to keep him this offseason and are destined to lose him in the next, they should be doing absolutely everything it takes to win with him.

Instead, they signed a pitcher with a rough history in MLB who made two separate trips overseas when it didn't work out, and they still might lose him after this upcoming season. That's not maximizing anything; it's doing the bare minimum.