Tigers miss out on perfect rotation addition after Red Sox's latest free agency move

It is almost 2025, and the Detroit Tigers have still made – *checks notes* – just one Major League free agent signing. That's already an inauspicious sign for a team that was potentially expected to make some noise this offseason, let alone the fact that said free agent signing was a massive overpay for a 37-year-old pitcher who was contemplating retirement.

Now, the Tigers' offseason is somehow looking even worse after Monday's news that the Boston Red Sox had agreed to a one-year, $21.05 million deal with starting pitcher Walker Buehler. The right-hander, who has spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, hit free agency for the first time as a low-risk, high-reward candidate looking for a bounce-back campaign after injuries impacted his last two seasons.

As a matter of fact, Buehler found himself in a situation similar to the one Jack Flaherty was in a year ago. While the Tigers took a gamble on Flaherty that paid off splendidly, they let Buehler go to another American League opponent trying to claw its way back into the playoff conversation.

Tigers miss out on perfect starting rotation addition after Red Sox sign Walker Buehler

Buehler was linked to the Tigers as recently as Dec. 12 by ESPN's Buster Olney, who listed Detroit as one of the interested teams along with Boston and the San Francisco Giants.

Buehler's unique situation was expected to make him a relatively affordable, short-term option, which would have been ideal for a Tigers team that has expressed interest in signing free agents to one- or two-year deals. Buehler was dominant during his last full season in 2021, posting a 2.47 ERA across 207 2/3 innings with 212 strikeouts and a fourth-place Cy Young finish. He then made 12 starts in 2022 before landing on the injured list and ultimately undergoing Tommy John surgery, which caused him to miss all of 2023 and make just 16 starts in 2024.

Buehler's return to the mound post-surgery was, as expected, bumpy at times. Because of his struggles and recently missing a season, Buehler's value was expected to be much lower than it would have been even a few years ago. However, he redeemed himself with a strong postseason performance to help lead the Dodgers to a World Series win, which evidently drove up his asking price in free agency.

It's more than a little baffling that the Tigers would rather pay $15 million for Alex Cobb than $21.05 million for Buehler, who is younger and has more potential – either as a long-term piece of their starting rotation or as a potential trade chip in 2025. They are relying an awful lot on their internal pieces behind Tarik Skubal to take the next step and help fill out their rotation, when they had a better solution in Buehler sitting right in front of them.

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