2025-2026 Tigers Off Season Thread

[GalagaGuy]

1 minute ago, Tenacious D said:

Will be interesting to see if they want Melton to start in Toledo, assuming he’d be the odd man out. Also wonder if Reese is healthy.

Last I heard, Olson is expected to be ready to go for spring training.  Not sure why they'd want Melton in Toledo given how well he did last year.  Maybe Reese goes to the bullpen so he can ease back into things? 

[NorthWoods]

9 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

I became a fan at age 5 in 68.  Lolich jumping into Freehan's arms is one of my earliest baseball memories.  

Not ashamed to say I cried a bit today.    '67 was my start as a fan but those Tigers were my heroes.  Hang on Willie!!

[Sports_Freak]

9 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

I became a fan at age 5 in 68.  Lolich jumping into Freehan's arms is one of my earliest baseball memories.  

It's also my first Tiger memory. It actually started my love of sports. I was 8 and it was like a whole new world nobody told me about.

[Stormin]

Fangraphs updated Starting Rotation projections for 2026

1. Red Sox  18.0 WAR
2. Tigers 17.8 WAR
3. Dodgers 16.4 WAR
4. Phillies 15.9 WAR

[1984Echoes]

17 minutes ago, GalagaGuy said:

We seem to have 6 legit starters now, who gets moved to ...

Gets moved to Toledo.

Need starters at Toledo who are stretched out and can come up and start in Detroit when needed. Injuries happen. 6th starter in Detroit occasionally happens... etc.

If they are in the Detroit bullpen...

Not stretched out for a 5 or 6 inning start.

Melton and Anderson are the most at risk for losing a Detroit rotation spot and getting put into the Toledo rotation.

IMO.

[4hzglory]

1 minute ago, 1984Echoes said:

Gets moved to Toledo.

Need starters at Toledo who are stretched out and can come up and start in Detroit when needed. Injuries happen. 6th starter in Detroit occasionally happens... etc.

If they are in the Detroit bullpen...

Not stretched out for a 5 or 6 inning start.

Melton and Anderson are the most at risk for losing a Detroit rotation spot and getting put into the Toledo rotation.

IMO.

Not positive, but I don’t think Anderson can be sent to Toledo.

[4hzglory]

2 minutes ago, 1984Echoes said:

Gets moved to Toledo.

Need starters at Toledo who are stretched out and can come up and start in Detroit when needed. Injuries happen. 6th starter in Detroit occasionally happens... etc.

If they are in the Detroit bullpen...

Not stretched out for a 5 or 6 inning start.

Melton and Anderson are the most at risk for losing a Detroit rotation spot and getting put into the Toledo rotation.

IMO.

Also still have SGL and Montero in Toledo for more depth.  All of a sudden the rotation looks/staff looks really solid.  And barring catastrophic injuries allows them to take there time with Jobe when he’s back pitching 

[1984Echoes]

Just now, 4hzglory said:

Not positive, but I don’t think Anderson can be sent to Toledo.

Hmmm... I didn't know that.

Just on a wild guess, Hinch might decide on "veteran" over "young guy" so it may very well be Melton in Toledo.

But, also... who knows if Olson will be healthy enough to keep his spot in Detroit?

Opening Day could be a rotation of Skubal-Flaherty-Valdez-Melton-Anderson?

[1984Echoes]

1 minute ago, 4hzglory said:

Also still have SGL and Montero in Toledo for more depth.  All of a sudden the rotation looks/staff looks really solid.  And barring catastrophic injuries allows them to take there time with Jobe when he’s back pitching 

SGL has even more to prove than Olson... healthwise.

I've never been impressed with Montero.

If there's a starter guess as to who might be pushed into the bullpen... It's Montero. He has only two pitches. They're awesome... when both are working and hitting the zone. But it seems like more often than not, one of his pitches isn't working for him, or he's missing the zone, and then he becomes eminently hittable. His WHIP is always around 1.5-ish, both in the majors and the minors.

IMO...

If there is ANY candidate that would benefit by going to the bullpen and just "letting it fly"... it's Montero.

[Nate7474]

I think it moves either Melton or Anderson to the bullpen. There are always injuries or chances for starts. We thought we were in a great spot at the start of last year and still ran out of starting pitching. 

[4hzglory]

7 minutes ago, 1984Echoes said:

Hmmm... I didn't know that.

Just on a wild guess, Hinch might decide on "veteran" over "young guy" so it may very well be Melton in Toledo.

But, also... who knows if Olson will be healthy enough to keep his spot in Detroit?

Opening Day could be a rotation of Skubal-Flaherty-Valdez-Melton-Anderson?

You forgot Mize

[4hzglory]

Just now, Nate7474 said:

I think it moves either Melton or Anderson to the bullpen. There are always injuries or chances for starts. We thought we were in a great spot at the start of last year and still ran out of starting pitching. 

I agree.  Barring spring injuries, I think it almost guarantees Anderson is in the pen.  I do think Melton likely starts in Toledo in that case, unless they think he helps them more in the pen than as the first option for an injury.

[1984Echoes]

2 minutes ago, 4hzglory said:

You forgot Mize

I certainly did.

So it's Skubal-Flaherty-Valdez-Mize and a hell of a fight for that 5th spot!

[1984Echoes]

1 minute ago, 4hzglory said:

I agree.  Barring spring injuries, I think it almost guarantees Anderson is in the pen.  I do think Melton likely starts in Toledo in that case, unless they think he helps them more in the pen than as the first option for an injury.

If Anderson can impress...

They might start both Olson and Melton at Toledo. Olson still has minor league options.

[4hzglory]

Just now, 1984Echoes said:

I certainly did.

So it's Skubal-Flaherty-Valdez-Mize and a hell of a fight for that 5th spot!

If healthy I think it’s Olson and not much of a fight.

 

This puts them in a much better position next year.  They can offer the QO to Flaherty and Mize if they’re similar to even 2025 and have Jobe back as well.

[4hzglory]

1 minute ago, 1984Echoes said:

If Anderson can impress...

They might start both Olson and Melton at Toledo. Olson still has minor league options.

If healthy I’d think they would want to get as many Detroit innings out of Olson as possible as he hasn’t shown the ability to stay healthy and why waste any of his #2-3 quality innings at Toledo.

[Tigermojo]

It feels like a huge win they didn't have to give Valdez 6 or 7 years.

[NorthWoods]

The Lolich tribute that just aired during the Red Wings game was great.   

[Graterol]

Skubal/Valdez/Olson/Flaherty/Mize and don’t think it’s much of a fight. Caveat being there is almost never a time where 1 SP isn’t injured.

Anderson takes long RP role and spot starter. Jansen/Vest/Finnegan/Holton/Hurter.

Hannifee probably favorite for last spot but lots of options. I would think this means Melton and Montero go to AAA to stretch out.

 

[Hongbit]

I am expecting them to trade Skubal before pitchers and catchers report next week.   

[gehringer_2]

20 minutes ago, 1984Echoes said:

SGL has even more to prove than Olson... healthwise.

SGL has to prove he can get out big league hitters.

[Tigermojo]

One concern is Valdez had a rough August/September. 

[1984Echoes]

8 minutes ago, 4hzglory said:

If healthy I’d think they would want to get as many Detroit innings out of Olson as possible as he hasn’t shown the ability to stay healthy and why waste any of his #2-3 quality innings at Toledo.

Yeah, ummm...

I don't think Olson wins a rotation spot based on "we need to get as many innings out of him in Detroit before he goes on the IL again...".

He has the ability to win the 5th spot outright. Heck, he could with the 4th spot or push Flaherty down to the 4th spot...

I just think the 5th starter is an open competition and I won't rule out any possibility.

Plus... Spring Training injuries so, who knows... ?

[Tiger337]

35 minutes ago, 1984Echoes said:

Gets moved to Toledo.

Need starters at Toledo who are stretched out and can come up and start in Detroit when needed. Injuries happen. 6th starter in Detroit occasionally happens... etc.

If they are in the Detroit bullpen...

Not stretched out for a 5 or 6 inning start.

Melton and Anderson are the most at risk for losing a Detroit rotation spot and getting put into the Toledo rotation.

IMO.

I am very confident this will work itself out. 

YOU CAN NEVER EVER HAVE TOO MUCH STARTING PITCHING  

[Tigermojo]

Framber and Franyerber potentially on the same team!