The Detroit Tigers are one of the early winners of the MLB offseason. They’ve signed infielder Javier Baez and left-handed starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez while acquiring catcher Tucker Barnhart from the Cincinnati Reds. Baez gives Detroit a star infielder in his prime, Rodriguez provides a stabilizing force for the starting rotation and Barnhart is a well-rounded backstop.
Detroit made tangible progress last season. Some of their homegrown players flashed power, the rotation was a steady bunch and the team accumulated 77 wins. The Tigers have an upward trajectory and reason to keep making impactful free agent signings.
Here are two players the Detroit Tigers should sign after the MLB lockout.
Detroit Tigers take a flier on Zach Davies
While starting pitching was the featured part of the 2021 Tigers, that unit has taken a bit of a hit this offseason. They non-tendered Matthew Boyd while Wily Peralta and Jose Urena remain free agents. Davies represents an enticing way for the Tigers to replace their outgoing starters.
The 29-year-old right-hander is coming off a rough season with the Chicago Cubs. That said, Davies’ 2021 struggles don’t fall in line with his career tendencies. The primary sinker-baller has performed along the lines of a top-of-the-rotation starter for the better part of the last six seasons.
Davies induces weak contact with offerings that register in the high 80s, frequently works out of trouble and has been efficient. He’s a prime bounce-back candidate. Davies is still relatively young, has pitched for playoff teams (Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres) and is typically a reliable starter.
- Zach Davies stats (2021): 5.78 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and 114 strikeouts across 148.0 innings (32 starts)
Manager A.J. Hinch’s 2022 starting rotation comes from the combination of Rodriguez, Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal, Tyler Alexander and Matt Manning while Spencer Turnbull recovers from Tommy John Surgery. Rodriguez is a proven commodity, Mize is coming off an encouraging season, Skubal has logged strikeouts at a high rate, Alexander has impressed as a starter and Manning is raw.
All that said, it’s unlikely that every one of these starters pan out and/or have plausible 2022 seasons. Davies adds a sense of reliability and serves as a veteran complement. In the scenario that the Tigers are out of the playoff picture in the summer, they can trade Davies to the highest bidder and subsequently promote a young arm.
Davies improves the Tigers’ rotation in the short term while buying time for young starters to come into their own.
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Mychal Givens adds a new dimension to the Detroit Tigers’ bullpen
If the Tigers are going to make a run at one of the two American League Wild Card seeds, they need to be sturdy across the board. Givens helps that aim.
The 31-year-old right-hander is a versatile reliever. Givens has served as a closer while also holding down setup and situational relief roles over the last four years. He can get the final three outs of a game or come in to get the team out of a jam. That versatility bodes well for the Tigers.
- Mychal Givens stats (2021): 3.35 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 54 strikeouts across 51.0 innings (54 appearances)
Gregory Soto, Jose Cisnero, Kyle Funkhouser and Michael Fulmer, another starter-turned-reliever, are comforting forces out of the bullpen. More oomph is needed from this unit, though. Throw Givens and a young starter who doesn’t crack the rotation into the mix and the Tigers’ bullpen becomes more electric.
Soto can close, while Cisnero sets up the ninth inning and Fulmer and Funkhouser serve as long and/or middle relievers. Meanwhile, Givens serves as a glue reliever who pitches in a variety of roles depending on the situation. He logs strikeouts at a plausible level, evades trouble and effectively deploys his four seamer and changeup. He fits any MLB pitching staff.
Detroit has a promising rotation and a would-be stable bullpen with Givens. Around the diamond, they will be improved but are at least a season away from being a force to be reckoned with at the plate. They need top prospects Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene to come up to the big leagues and be reliable, everyday players like Akil Baddoo and Jeimer Candelario have been.
A 2022 playoff push for the Tigers is reliant on them having a reliable pitching staff from top to bottom. One way or another, Givens bolsters their operation.