THE Detroit Tigers are about to enter the most critical offseason they’ve seen in a very long time as the team looks to build on the 2024 weaknesses that kept the most unlikely of playoffs from turning into a Cinderella story for the ages.

Detroit was eliminated in the ALDS by its division rival Cleveland Goalies in a decisive Game 5, but the road to get there was quite a roller coaster ride after playing double-digit games in late August before making the playoffs and defeating the Houston Astros in the Wild Card round. If the Tigers had had more reliable starting pitchers behind Tarik Skubalthe race could have lasted even longer.

Finding quality weapons to join the rotation should be the top priority this winter with a ton of quality names available. There are a lot of directions Detroit can go, from spending the biggest dollar to the pair a second ace with Skubal to simply trying to fill the rotation with solid starting pitching without breaking the bank. A player who could present a balance between the two strategies is Boston Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta. Roger Castillo of FanSided named Pivetta as a guy that Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris should covet as someone who has a high ceiling and a player the team’s elite coaching staff could get the most out of. best part.

“Harris knows he can sell his top pitchers and Pivetta, who has been inconsistent at times for Boston, would give the Tigers someone who can give them innings, something their starters couldn’t do outside of Skubal in 2024 “wrote Castillo.

Pivetta wouldn’t really be cheap, enhanced by Spotrac at $60 million over four years, but that’s still far less than what the biggest names in free agency would cost. As Castillo pointed out, Pivetta is a strikeout specialist and could complement Skubal perfectly. Pivetta has been in Boston for four seasons and has never had an ERA below 4.0, but has become a always strong sleeve eater who knows how to bring people out.

$15 million per year might be a little rich for a player of Pivetta’s caliber, but if Detroit can lower that number a bit, he could be the perfect fit and make a smooth transition into the rotation of the Tigers.