The Detroit Tigers have a lot to figure out this offseason.
The most pressing and clear one is what they envision Tarik Skubal’s future to be with the club. Having the best pitcher in baseball doesn’t come around very often, and despite the fact he’s rumored to be looking for record-setting money, not having him on this roster makes them significantly worse going forward.
Shipping him out of town to at least get a king’s ransom in return is an option to help mitigate a potential future loss. But that also waives the white flag a bit on the 2026 season after they have been one win away from reaching the American League Championship Series each of the past two years.
That’s why the Tigers are largely expected to hold onto their ace for next season, with the aim being to go after a World Series while he’s still on the team. And to do that, Detroit will need to upgrade their roster, with bullpen being one of their top priorities.
To build one of the best relief staffs in baseball, the Tigers should target two players in free agency: Devin Williams and Kyle Finnegan.
Finnegan was lights out for Detroit after they acquired him from the Washington Nationals ahead of the trade deadline. Known for slowing down in the second half of seasons, the veteran right-hander was electric and effective right out of the gate for his new team.
He finished with a 1.50 ERA across 16 appearances for the Tigers with 23 strikeouts and just four walks in 18 innings pitched. One can only wonder what type of numbers he would have put up if he hadn’t gotten hurt to finish out the year. But he was at least able to return and be a high-leverage option for Detroit in the playoffs.
While it’s fair to wonder if Finnegan’s performance is sustainable, working with great pitching coaches like he would if he returned should mitigate that concern. He also said he wants to return to the Motor City, so at an estimated market value of two years and $20 million, per Spotrac, this is something the Tigers should get done.
Williams is a bit harder of a sell based on what transpired this past season. After he was acquired by the New York Yankees with the vision of becoming their closer, he was demoted out of that role following a disastrous start.
The right-hander finished the year with an ERA of 4.79 and an ERA+ that was below the league average of 100 for the first time in his career. However, his expected ERA was 3.07, which suggests he was wildly unlucky throughout the 2025 season.
If Detroit signs him and they get a bounce back performance from the two-time NL Trevor Hoffman Reliever of the Year winner, then they would have a premier reliever alongside Will Vest, Finnegan if he re-signs and the other high-end bullpen arms the Tigers have on their roster.
That’s why Williams and Finnegan should be a priority for Detroit this winter when it comes to bullpen upgrades. Because if they land those two, then there’s a chance the Tigers will have one of the best relief staffs in baseball.
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