00:00Welcome, Tigers fans. For 13 years, the mantra from former President and General Manager Dave
00:07Dombrowski was clear, you can never have enough pitching. Our current President of Baseball
00:12Operations Scott Harris has built this playoff contending roster over his 3 plus years,
00:17here, with a focus on youth, development, and short term deals. But on that one core idea,
00:23pitching depth, he and Dombrowski see eye to eye, and that explains why here we are,
00:28with less than two weeks until spring training, and the Tigers are in a prime, opportunistic
00:33position. The free agent market still has a wealth of quality arms available. The team has been linked
00:39to interest in several starters. That includes a familiar nemesis, Lucas Giolito, Toledo native,
00:46Chris Bassett, swingman Nick Martinez, and the well-traveled left-hander, Jose Quintana. Of
00:53course, former Tigers Cy Young winners Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer are still out
00:58there. Though neither has been connected to a Detroit return yet. It's not the flashiest market,
01:03especially compared to the hitters this offseason, but for this team, this strategy could pay major
01:08dividends down the line. Let's look at what we already have. The rotation is fronted by back-to-back
01:15Cy Young winner, Tarek Skubal, and supported by fellow homegrown All-Star Casey Mize. Jack Flaherty's
01:23early decision to exercise his 2025 option provided continuity. Last month's signing of Drew Anderson
01:30to a guaranteed one-year deal with a second-year option added a new wrinkle. Reese Olsen is on track
01:36to be ready after that season-ending right shoulder strain. Troy Melton, coming off an impressive stretch
01:41run last year, is set to compete for a spot, and we have depth with Sawyer Gibson-Long, Kyder Montero,
01:47and Ty Madden waiting in the wings. It's a good group, but with pitching, potential traps always
01:53loom. Reese Olsen has dealt with shoulder issues the last two seasons and pitched just 68.2 innings
01:59over 13 starts last year between shoulder and finger problems. Troy Melton is ready to compete after a
02:04valuable stretch run as a swingman, but the 25-year-old will be monitored after throwing 129.1 innings last
02:12year across the minors, Detroit, and the postseason. Both Gibson-Long and Madden missed large chunks of
02:20last season with injuries. We also know the Tigers' philosophy. They leverage depth. They've used a
02:26six-man rotation at times, especially during stretches with no off days. Last year, 15 different
02:33pitchers started a game for Detroit, though some like Tyler Holton, Bo Breeski, Brant Herter, and Sean
02:38Gwenther were purely openers. Even with the potential late-season return of Jackson Jobe from Tommy John
02:44surgery, matching that volume of starters could be a challenge if needed. There are organizational
02:49reasons to keep looking, too. While Harris has kept opportunities open for young hitters, the pipeline
02:54of pitchers ready for Detroit is thinner. Our prospect rankings are deeper in hitters, partly due to
03:00injuries, and many of the top-pitching prospects are in the lower levels of the farm system.
03:04Left-handed swingman Jake Miller, the organization's no-19 prospect per MLB pipeline,
03:10has the best chance to pitch in Detroit this season. But he's rehabbing from labrum surgery
03:15on both hips and will use spring training to complete that process before starting in the
03:19minors. After him, non-roster invitee Troy Watson, unranked prospect Garrett Burhan, and knuckleballer
03:24Kenny Serwa could be the next options. How this market moves may depend on where top remaining
03:32free agents like Frambois Valdez and Zach Gallin land. But the Tigers are in an intriguing spot.
03:38They can maneuver and potentially wait out this pitching market. So, what's your take? Should
03:44the team make a move now for one of these available arms, or stand pat and trust the depth they've built?
Comments