The Detroit Tigers are the new team to watch this offseason.

Detroit Tigers moving towards free will with some needs and means to satisfy them.

It was a tremendous season for the Tigers in 2024, as the franchise was able to break a long playoff drought and win the American League Wild Card Series.

While the success may have come as a surprise, this squad is young and has proven it can contend for the playoffs. Now Detroit will have to find the right way to improve this team and help coach AJ Hinch get what he needs to succeed.

Because the club has been rebuilding in recent years, they haven’t spent much money on free agents. However, it wasn’t long ago that this team was willing to spend money.

Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report recently ranked teams based on their need for free agents this offseason. For the Tigers, they fall into the category of a young team that needs to spend money.

“The ownership groups on this list have spent inconsistently at best in recent years. But everyone has enough talent that they should make a big investment this offseason to try to develop the talent they already have internally. Not long ago, the Tigers and Nationals were the biggest spenders in baseball. However, the owners of both franchises, Mike Ilitch and Ted Lerner, have passed away in the past decade. Now the younger generation of these families must show that they are just as willing to spend money on star players.”

The Tigers enter the offseason with a couple of glaring needs as they have relied heavily on Tariq Skubal and their bullpen in 2024.

Improvements at both first and third base would be ideal for their lineup. Due to Javier Baez’s hefty contract, it’s unlikely they’ll make any major moves here, but this is also an area they could improve.

With the corners of the infield being potential areas for upgrade, it would be ideal to bring in players who could bat in the middle of the order with some power.

In addition to adding some depth to the lineup, Detroit also needs a starting pitcher. The return of a player like Jack Flaherty or someone of that caliber would be perfect to pair with Skubal. The Tigers haven’t really had the opportunity in the postseason to start games and extend them, which is obviously necessary if they want to contend.

Considering how well this young core performed for Detroit last season, the owners should certainly be writing some checks this winter to help improve this team and ensure continued success for years to come.