2 weeks Ago
The Detroit Tigers took the baseball world by storm with the unprecedented run they went on in the second half of the 2024 season. Despite being sellers at the deadline and facing a double-digit deficit in the standings, they overcame the odds and earned the No. 2 wild card spot in the American League.
Their timeline of being a playoff team was accelerated rapidly, snapping their nine-year playoff drought unexpectedly. That set the stage for what many expected to be a huge offseason for the team. Looking to ride the positive momenutm that was built from the playoff run, a spending spree from the Tigers was predicted.
Alas, it never came to fruition. Detroit added only one Major League positional player to the roster, signing second baseman Gleyber Torres. On the mound, starting pitchers Alex Cobb and Jack Flaherty were signed along with relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle.
Not the flashiest additions, but three out of four have been impact performers for the franchise thus far in 2025. Torres , outside of his injured list stint, has been hitting incredibly well. Flaherty has re-asserted himself as the No.
2 behind reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal and Kahnle has cemented himself as the team’s closer. Cobb has yet to pitch and is on the injured list, which comes as little surprise given his recent track record. Those additions, along with development from holdovers such as first baseman Spencer Torkelson, left fielder Kerry Carpenter and starting pitcher Casey Mize have helped the Tigers get off to a strong start.
After being swept by the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in their first series of the season, they have gone 13-6. 13-9 overall, they are in first place in the AL Central, a position they could hold for years to come because of the work of their front office. With president of baseball operations Scott Harris leading the way, Detroit has turned things around in a major way on the field.
Not only is the team set up for success now, looking like a perennial playoff team, they can ascend to true contenders because of the excellent job they have done managing payroll and stockpiling the farm system with elite talent. “They’ve really made strides under Scott Harris,” said one president of baseball operations who took part in a front office power rankings piece shared by Tyler Kepner of The Athletic (subscription required). “They’ve made smart moves and been aggressive when opportunities exist, and they haven’t tied themselves down with long-term contracts.
” It would have been easy for Harris and his team to throw money at free agents attempting to fill voids on the roster. The outside noise was pretty loud and it wasn’t from a lack of effort, as they did pursue Alex Bregman right to the end before he chose the Boston Red Sox . But they stuck to the game plan, seeking out specific upgrades they felt would help the team.
Thus far, their plan has worked and their future flexibility is a major asset to take advantage of. Harris has the team in a position to take a massive swing ahead of the deadline, should the opportunity present itself, since they can take on payroll and have the farm system to build a very strong trade package. Recommended Articles.
