The Detroit Tigers have had quite the offseason since their World Series run ended short last October. They’ve also been dealing with their ace Tarik Skubal, who recently won his arbitration case, shattering previous norms for young players.
“Tigers ace Tarik Skubal has won his arbitration hearing against the team, reportsESPN’s Jeff Passan. He’ll be paid a record-shattering $32MM in his final season of arbitration eligibility and, in doing so, radically alter subsequent arbitration earnings for top-tier starting pitchers with five-plus years of big league service,” MLB Trade Rumors’ Steve Adams wrote.
The Tigers should once again be a fun team to watch this season if they’re able to keep everything together amid all the moving parts. Recently, Detroit strengthened its starting rotation by signing left-hander Framber Valdez.
“Left-hander Framber Valdez and the Detroit Tigers are in agreement on a three-year, $115 million contract, sources told ESPN, linking the best free agent left-hander on the market with the team looking to win its first division title in more than a decade,” ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote.
Just Baseball’s Ryan Finkelstein doesn’t believe the Tigers should stop there, predicting they could also sign veteran Chris Bassitt.
“After being left off the playoff roster until the ALCS, Bassitt emerged as a weapon out of the Blue Jays’ bullpen, allowing just three hits and one run across 8 2/3 innings pitched. Bassitt even struck out 10 batters compared to issuing only two walks,” Finkelstein wrote. “The playoff performance for Bassitt shows that he can become a valued swingman for a contending team as well, able to fill a variety of roles depending on your roster situation. Again, pick any team, and you can make a case for signing Bassitt, but our landing spot choice is the Detroit Tigers.”
If Detroit makes this move, it will be difficult for anyone in the AL Central to keep pace. It could also help convince Skubal to stay through the entire season before entering free agency, where he would likely command a lucrative deal.
Adding Bassitt would give the Tigers one of the strongest rotations in baseball while also bringing in a veteran presence. Detroit is aiming to return to the playoffs and reach the World Series this season rather than falling just short again.
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