Was the Tigers’ decision to trade Tarik Skubal this summer a sign of an impending rebuild? Given the young talent already on the roster, that process had already started.
As difficult as this season has been in Detroit, the Tigers have a young core in place that could put them back in contention very soon.
“They are good already, and things have just not worked out this year,” an American League executive said. “I think they can largely stay the course and let McGonigle, Greene, [and] Clark take them up a notch.”
That would be infielder Kevin McGonigle -- the American League Rookie of the Year frontrunner -- and outfielders Riley Greene and Max Clark, three young players who should anchor the Tigers’ lineup for years to come.
Greene made his third consecutive All-Star team this season. While his numbers won’t approach the ones he posted a season ago, the 25-year-old has proven to be a solid, steady big league player who should help the Tigers turn things around.
McGonigle has had a spectacular rookie season, posting a 5.7 bWAR through his first 137 games and showing elite plate discipline uncommon for most 22-year-olds. Clark didn’t make his debut until July 31, but he’s shown flashes of the talent that made him the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.
Add in Dillon Dingler, a 27-year-old AL Gold Glove-winning All-Star catcher having the best season of his young career (26 home runs, 82 RBIs, .779 OPS and a 4.1 bWAR in 130 games), and that’s half of the lineup written in pen for 2027 and beyond.
“McGonigle is showing himself to be a face-of-the-franchise cornerstone, and Dingler, Clark and Greene are players you can certainly build around,” a National League executive said. “They seem to have a core in place, which is not something most teams with their record can say.”
That quartet isn’t the only thing that makes Detroit optimistic about the future.
Even after trading Skubal and Casey Mize, the Tigers have the foundation for a strong rotation led by Framber Valdez, who signed a three-year, $115 million contract with Detroit in February. Jackson Jobe, Troy Melton and Keider Montero -- all of whom are 25 or younger -- figure to follow Valdez in the rotation. While Melton and Montero have proven their ability to succeed in the Majors this season, Jobe -- who was Detroit’s No. 1 prospect a year ago but missed 14 months after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2025 -- might be the best of the bunch.
Other rotation options include River Ryan (Detroit’s No. 1 pitching prospect and No. 66 overall in baseball, acquired from the Dodgers in the Skubal deal) and Drew Anderson, who has a $10 million club option that the Tigers could exercise for 2027.
With several core pieces in place, what else might Detroit do this offseason to move past this disappointing year?
For starters, the Tigers should have plenty of payroll flexibility this winter. After opening 2026 with a $200 million payroll, Detroit has roughly $85 million committed for next season. There are some obvious spots for the Tigers to target this winter, and a few key acquisitions could make this season a distant memory a year from now.
Upgrading the offense -- which ranks ninth in the AL in runs scored and 11th in OPS -- would seem to be the priority for president of baseball operations Scott Harris, who hasn’t seen his team advance beyond the AL Division Series during his four years running the show.
One spot that figures to be addressed is second base, as Gleyber Torres is set to return to the free-agent market for a second consecutive offseason. Hao-Yu Lee could step into the position, but the Tigers could also turn to free agency, where Brandon Lowe, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Luis Arraez will all be available.
Spencer Torkelson has manned first base for the past four seasons, but the 27-year-old is continuing his every-other-year production pattern, posting mediocre numbers (22 home runs, 66 RBIs, a .730 OPS and 0.1 bWAR) in 139 games. Detroit could stick with Torkelson as a placeholder for 21-year-old Josue Briceño, the club’s No. 5 prospect and No. 69 in baseball. Colt Keith, who has seen limited time at first base in the past two seasons, could see more time there as part of a super-utility role. Should the Tigers look to the free-agent market, options could include Alec Bohm and Ty France.
There is a thought that McGonigle -- who has split time between shortstop and third base this season -- could move to the hot corner on a full-time basis, with Javier Báez and John Peck seeing time at shortstop.
Zach McKinstry and Kerry Carpenter have split time in right field, and while both remain under team control (McKinstry through 2027; Carpenter through '28), the Tigers could look to upgrade that spot with a bigger bat such as Seiya Suzuki or Randy Arozarena. Zyhir Hope, the team’s No. 2 prospect and No. 28 in baseball (also acquired in the Skubal trade) is unlikely to be ready at the start of next season, but he could factor into the mix later in the year.
As for the rotation, while Valdez, Melton, Jobe and Montero appear set to start in 2027, it’s possible that Detroit could look to add a veteran arm to the top half of the group. Sonny Gray, Michael King, Nick Martinez and Clay Holmes could all be good fits.
"Jobe isn’t replacing Skubal’s production, although maybe [he's replacing the production of] Mize,” an AL executive said.
In recent years, the Tigers have looked at pitchers coming off of subpar seasons -- Jack Flaherty and Michael Lorenzen, for example -- confident their pitching department can help them right the ship. Could pitchers such as Shane Bieber, Shota Imanaga, Zack Littell, Tyler Mahle and Brady Singer be candidates for such a deal?
Detroit has many options to address the rotation should it choose to do so, but the Tigers are a near lock to find a new closer after Kenley Jansen’s roller-coaster first year with Detroit. Several solid late-inning options will be available, though David Bednar and Pete Fairbanks could be the two targeted by the Tigers. Detroit liked Bednar when he was on the trade block last year, but the prospect cost of a deal was more than they wanted to pay.