The Detroit Tigers are in the pitching market this offseason. Detroit is prioritizing its rotation and bullpen, even with the looming possibility of signing Alex Bregman. In fact, the Tigers already pursued one reliever on the market who signed with the Baltimore Orioles last week.
According to Ryan Helsley in his news conference, Detroit was “heavily” in the mix to sign him as a starting pitcher this offseason. The Tigers weren’t the only team interested in signing Helsley as a starting pitcher, but he ultimately chose to take his talents to Baltimore as a closer.
In 2025, Helsley was traded to the New York Mets and really struggled. The 31-year-old started to find his footing in New York near the end of the season, but the team missed the playoffs. Now, Helsley will look to improve on his rough tenure in New York with success in Baltimore.
The Tigers swung and missed on one of their first targets in free agency, but there are still plenty of players on the market. Michael King, Ranger Suarez, Pete Fairbanks, and more pitchers have been linked to Detroit during the offseason. The Tigers want to land another starter, and it won’t be surprising when it happens.
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