Analysis of the Detroit Tigers' unconventional defensive strategy

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00:00Hey Tigers fans, let's talk about what's shaping up to be a historic strength for our team.

00:06Over the last couple of years, our Detroit Tigers have built an identity around creative

00:09bullpen use.

00:11We saw it with the pitching chaos theme during our 2024 push to the postseason, and, again,

00:16when all-star closer Kyle Finnegan was used in a versatile, high-leverage role after arriving

00:21at last summer's trade deadline.

00:23Now, as we head into the 2026 season, this approach is setting up for something truly

00:29unprecedented.

00:30Since the save became an official statistic in 1969, no team in Major League Baseball has

00:37ever started a season with three pitchers, who all recorded 20 or more saves the year

00:42before, with Kyle Finnegan returning, the signing of Kenley Jansen, and Will Vest still on the

00:48roster.

00:48Our Tigers have exactly that trio under contract, and they'll be pitching for manager A.J.

00:53Hinch, who for most of his five-year tenure here has proudly declined to name a single

00:58set closer.

01:01So, yes, Hinch has no shortage of options for the ninth inning, but he's just as likely

01:06to prioritize using those arms against the most dangerous part of the opposing lineup,

01:11regardless of whether it's the ninth inning or not.

01:14General Manager Jeff Greenberg spoke on this a couple of weeks ago, saying,

01:17I wouldn't say the specific save stat itself was something we were targeting, we were targeting

01:22impact arms that we felt could help this team win games in different situations, and we have

01:27a manager in A.J. who is so good at finding ways to get the most out of these guys, putting

01:31those pieces together, using our guys in the right situations to get those wins.

01:35This setup requires buy-in from everyone involved, when the group includes a likely future Hall

01:41of Famer who is just 24 saves shy of 500, that's Kenley Jansen, a former All-Star, Kyle

01:47Finnegan, and, an arbitration-eligible reliever two years from free agency, Will Vest, that buy-in

01:54becomes critical.

01:56The good news, the Tigers are fully on board.

01:59Kyle Finnegan, who got his old jersey number 67 back in a swap with Bayley Horn last month,

02:04put it this way, I think it just feeds into the mindset of our bullpen, we have lots of

02:09different guys that can do lots of different things, and anytime you can get more options

02:13to throw in leverage, it's a huge advantage.

02:16You look at a lot of the teams in the postseason, their bullpens are built with multiple guys

02:21that you can throw out there in the 8th, 9th inning and have confidence that they can

02:24get it done, so I think the more closers you have on your team, the better, I think whoever

02:29it is, is going to have the mindset of, tell me when to pitch and I'll go out there

02:34and do my best.

02:35Kenley Jansen shared a similar outlook when he spoke with reporters after signing.

02:40Despite his incredible track record and his chase for 500 saves, he said he came with

02:46no guarantees of being the set closer, and that it wasn't a priority.

02:50Jansen stated,

02:51It's about winning, to me yes, it's unbelievable numbers to get this close, but like I told

02:57A, J, I didn't do this to get 500 saves or 400 saves, whatever, I was on a pretty good

03:02team, the Dodgers, I've had great opportunities, and all our focus is to try to help a team win,

03:08and all those things came with it, so at the end of the day, it will be a great accomplishment.

03:13But I think the greater accomplishment will be to try to get deep in the postseason and win

03:17the World Series with the Tigers. That's my accomplishment at the end of the day.

03:21That's why I'm here. As manager A.J. Hinch mentioned during last month's winter meetings,

03:26expect roles to become clearer as spring training unfolds. We will build the team over the course

03:31of the offseason, with some soft focus on what's the best way to use the group.

03:36Then, we'll sort it out during the spring a little bit. Like, are there competitions for

03:40important innings? Of course. Are there competitions for at-bats? Of course.

03:44But performance in the spring is a tough gauge. So, what's your take, Tigers fans? Do you think

03:51having three proven closers with this flexible team-first mentality is the ultimate weapon

03:56for a deep playoff run?

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