Tigers miss out on perfect short-term pitching option after big Angels signing

It's no secret that the Detroit Tigers need to reinforce their starting rotation for 2025 behind unanimous American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. They may not aim as high as top-tier free agents like Max Fried or Corbin Burnes, but they should absolutely zero in on mid-tier starters who can pitch deep into games and relieve some of the pressure on their bullpen.

Yusei Kikuchi would have been one of those starters. The hard-throwing lefty dazzled last season following a trade from the Toronto Blue Jays to the Houston Astros, posting a 2.70 ERA in 10 starts and averaging six innings per outing. Houston paid a steep price to acquire two months of a habitually home-run prone starter, but the results spoke for themselves.

Kikuchi hit the open market again this offseason, but he didn't last long. With his stock up significantly after he looked like a legitimate No. 2 starter in Houston, Kikuchi was snatched up Monday by the Los Angeles Angels on a three-year, $63 million contract. A move like this could've helped the Tigers' payroll in the short term and potentially given them a leg up in the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes.

If the Tigers did inquire about Kikuchi this offseason, it's easy to understand why they might bristle at that asking price for an aging southpaw whose performance had been inconsistent at best before he landed in Houston. Still, Detroit's need for a No. 2 starter remains.

Tigers missed out on perfect short-term pitching option after Angels sign Yusei Kikuchi in free agency

The bad news for Detroit is that Kikuchi is officially off the market. The good news, however, is that plenty of viable options remain to help them shore up their starting rotation. Perhaps a reunion with Jack Flaherty or Max Scherzer could make sense. Maybe they'll even surprise us and go after Burnes or Fried.

Regardless, the Tigers are far from the only team scouring the free agent market for starting pitching this offseason. In addition to the Angels, they'll also likely face competition from the Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and more. If they want to avoid getting beaten to the punch again like they were with the Angels and Kikuchi, they need to start acting sooner rather than later.

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