Will Torres, Flaherty, other Tigers free agents get another go in Detroit?

DETROIT -- A few hours before the Tigers played their season finale last month, Gleyber Torres stood at his locker and reflected, not only on what he called an “awful” season of injuries for him but on a two-year Tiger tenure that could be at an end.

“I like the group. I like the organization,” Torres said. “Special group, special people. I’m glad to play here. I’m always going to be grateful to get an opportunity to be here. The people here treated me like a brother from the beginning. I made really good relationships with all the younger guys, with the veterans, everybody. Last year was special. This year was a different experience, but everybody stuck together. Let’s see what’s going to happen.”

Hours later, after Jack Flaherty tossed two scoreless innings of relief in his first outing in two months after coming back from injury, the right-hander took a moment to think about his three seasons in Detroit.

“Everything since I’ve been here has been really positive,” he said. “The goal is to win. I wasn’t a part of the playoff run here in ’24 but you saw what was building and to be a part of it in ’25 and then this year thinking we had a chance at it, really high hopes.”

Neither necessarily wanted to talk about their Tiger tenures in the past tense. Both were key parts of the Tigers’ run to a playoff spot in 2025 -- Torres earning an All-Star selection off a stellar first half before playing through a core muscle injury down the stretch, Flaherty delivering a key start in the Wild Card Series clincher in Cleveland before coming out of the bullpen for two scoreless innings in Game 5 of their Division Series in Seattle. Both returned for another year -- Torres accepting a qualifying offer, Flaherty exercising a contract option -- then suffered injury-plagued 2026 seasons as younger players filled spots in their absence.

Both are free agents following the end of the World Series, along with a few other Detroit teammates. The Tigers seem to be well positioned for internal replacements at both spots as the next phase of Detroit’s youth movement rolls on.

Before the Tigers dip into free agency, here’s a look at their own free agents, their futures and potential replacements:

• RHP Jack Flaherty: The veteran right-hander worked hard to come back from right flexor inflammation in hopes of being part of another playoff run. The Tigers were eliminated a week before his outing in the season finale, but his return carried the benefit of showing his health going into free agency, where the 31-year-old brings an impressive resume as a postseason performer but back-to-back seasons with an ERA+ under 100. The Tigers have a very good core of young starters in Jackson Jobe, Troy Melton and River Ryan alongside Framber Valdez, Keider Montero and possibly Drew Anderson (club option). Detroit could still look for depth on a short-term signing or two, but with no guarantee of a spot, it could be a difficult fit.

• 2B Gleyber Torres: Even with recurring oblique injuries that limited Torres to 96 games and seemingly hampered his mobility at times when he was active, Torres finished with a 105 OPS+ and a 2.0 bWAR season. His plate discipline, including a 95th percentile walk rate and 99th percentile chase rate on Statcast, fits Detroit’s offensive brand. But infield is the strength of Tigers player development at the moment, and Hao-Yu Lee’s uptick in playing time at second base down the stretch might have been a sign where Detroit is trending. Torres is a proven offensive catalyst who should find a regular role somewhere as long as he’s healthy.

• RHP Tyler Kinley: A late-August signing after being released by Atlanta, Kinley made the most of a late-season audition in Detroit, allowing just five hits over 14 2/3 innings while pitching in middle relief. His slider was a weapon again, though his swing-and-miss rate on it was still down from previous seasons. Kinley turns 36 in January, but there could still be a role for him in what is likely to be a retinkered Tigers bullpen next season.

• RHP Burch Smith: The Tigers had high hopes for Smith -- signed to a Minor League contract last winter -- after calling him up in April, but he never returned from a midseason shoulder injury, eventually undergoing season-ending arthroscopic surgery in August. The 36-year-old will have to show he’s healthy.

• RHP Tanner Rainey: The Tigers called up Rainey from Triple-A Toledo in August for a half-dozen appearances before outrighting him back to Toledo in September. The 33-year-old served as relief depth in the system the last couple seasons.

Still to be determined are club options on right-handers Anderson ($10 million, no buyout) and Kenley Jansen ($12 million, or $2 million buyout). The Tigers have until five days after the World Series ends to make those choices.