Tigers nearing never-before-seen collapse could have drastic offseason implications

The Tigers have all of six regular season games left to keep themselves from making the worst kind of baseball history. With their loss to the Braves on Sunday, they're one loss (and one Guardians win) away from blowing what was a 15.5-game lead over Cleveland on July 8 and a 14-game lead over the then-second place Royals and Twins. If the Tigers miss the postseason, those 15.5 games will be the biggest lead any first place AL or NL team has ever given up in 125 years of modern era baseball.

Detroit's collapse has been stunning, and it's an incredible indictment upon the front office's wheelings and dealings (or perhaps lack thereof) both in the offseason and at the trade deadline. Two pitchers acquired at the deadline have been DFA'd. One's been moved to the bullpen. Another was indisposed for months, only for his first outing in Detroit to be a failure.

Tigers fans are plenty used to being on the outside looking in during October, but for the team to miss it this year, when they spent so long in first place? It's almost unfathomable.

And it's not a great calling card to send out to free agents in this coming offseason. The Tigers have never been huge spenders, but if they were thinking about trying to re-sign Gleyber Torres or finally get Alex Bregman if he opts out of his Red Sox deal? If they miss the postseason, it wouldn't be surprising if neither of them — nor anyone else who might've been on the Tigers' wishlist — will want to come to Detroit.

Offseason free agents definitely aren't coming to Detroit if Tigers blow AL Central lead, miss the postseason

Granted, the Tigers were probably never going to be major offseason spenders whether or not this current slide happened, or even if they won the World Series. They'd do what they always do — add some supplementary pieces and continue to call up top prospects.

But coasting through the regular season and winning the World Series would be two major pieces of evidence that the Tigers' develop-not-buy and prospect-hoarding strategies can actually win championships. Detroit seems dead-set on proving that they don't.

So the Tigers may find themselves stuck. Even if they're willing to splurge on Torres or Bregman, why would they want to come (or come back) if the front office's missteps so clearly cost the team dearly when it mattered most, and if the organizational philosophy doesn't seem capable of changing? Could even Jack Flaherty opt out of his contract for 2026 because of this?

It feels more likely than you might think. Sure, the Tigers' first-half success should account for something, but if they actually do miss the postseason, that's all anyone is going to remember.