The quiet period is over. The stove is starting to burn now.

This week, Scott Harris and the rest of the Tigers The brass will gather in San Antonio for the league’s general managers’ meetings, the unofficial kickoff to baseball’s hot period.

Here, the Tigers will begin laying the foundation for building next season’s team.

And of course, after Detroit’s miraculous push to the playoffs, the Tigers are entering a new space this winter. There are expectations. There are reasons to be aggressive. The Tigers do not demolish or rebuild. In theory, they are looking to win.

Added a right-handed bat and more

During his end-of-season press conference, Harris gave a general overview of the team’s offseason goals. The Tigers want to add a right-handed bat and, of course, they are looking to add more pitchers.

We may learn more details in the coming days. But an obvious question arises. Will the Tigers be active players at the top of the free agent market? Harris has not yet indicated which position(s) he would most like to improve. But the corners of the infield seem to be the most natural areas for Detroit to add. At third base, Alex Bregman emerges as the top free agent option and a player who could make perfect sense for Detroit, if the Tigers are willing to pay the high price.

Could Alex Bregman reunite with his former Houston manager AJ Hinch in Detroit? (Troy Taormina / Imagn Images)

On the infield, players such as Christian Walker, Paul Goldschmidt and Pete Alonso are free agents who will seek various forms of salaries on the open market. Anthony Santander plays on the pitch but also has experience up front and could be a natural fit. The Tigers still have Spencer Torkelsonso there is a potential dilemma to be resolved when adding a first baseman.

And knowing this front office, there’s no guarantee the Tigers will simply look to snatch a big name from free agency. The Tigers could seek a more creative upgrade via the trade market. Yandy Diaz of the Tampa Bay Rays, Ryan Mountcastle of the Baltimore Orioles And Rhys Hoskins of the Milwaukee Brewers are among the names that make sense as potential targets.

On the pitching front, the Tigers need to add at least one swing-and-miss option to the back end of their bullpen. Also expect the Tigers to sign at least one starting pitcher. The Tigers are unlikely to bid on the Blake Snells or Max Frieds of the world. But they could look for another project like Michael Lorenzen and Jack Flaherty in the past to round out their rotation.

Among the more proven options, reuniting with Flaherty remains an interesting proposition. Others like Nick Pivetta, Nathan Eovaldi, Sean Manaea and Luis Severino are among a long list of options. The Tigers could also be interested in a heavy pitcher like Michel Kopech, who could work as a starter or reliever.

Roster Decisions: What’s Happening With Brendan White?

If you’ve forgotten how much the Tigers sold at the deadline, consider the fact that they have no pending free agents. The only contract option they have to decide on belongs to the right-hander Casey Mizewhose $3.1 million team option was always a fait accompli. Expect the Tigers to pay Mize a $10,000 buyout, retain control of Mize and renegotiate at a lower price before arbitration.

Because they have no pending free agents, the Tigers also have no players eligible for qualifying offers.

However, there are still immediate actions to come. Monday is the deadline for teams to reinstate players from the 60-day injured list. For the Tigers, that means Javier Baez (right hip surgery), Sawyer Gipson-Long (left hip, right elbow), Alex Faedo (right shoulder sprain) and Brendan White (right radial nerve).

Of these players, White is most likely to be designated for assignment rather than being reinstated to the roster. While there are upsides to his deal, White has battled arm issues all season and underwent a hydrodissection procedure in August.

The Tigers currently have 39 players on the 40-man roster, so even if they only reinstate three players, two more must go. Left-handed Brian Sammonsright-handed Ricky Vanascofirst baseman Bligh Madris and outfielder Ryan Vilade are among those at risk of being DFA at some point this winter.

Arbitration/no-bid decisions: is this the end for Akil Baddoo?

The Tigers are expected to have nine arbitration-eligible players, and the deadline to bid contracts for arbitration-eligible and pre-arbitration players is November 22.

Akil Baddoo and Alex Lange are ineligible for Super Two arbitration status because neither has met the threshold of at least 86 days of service during the 2024 season.

Baddoo, the fan-favorite outfielder, is among the players most likely to lose a spot on the team this winter. Infielder Ryan Kreidler and right-handed Mason Englert There are two other players who could be vulnerable.

Depending on what the Tigers intend to add to their roster, they could even face tough decisions regarding key players such as Andy Ibánez And Zach McKinstry.

Tigers players eligible for arbitration (with a projected salary of MLB Commercial rumors):

• Tarik Skubal: 8 million dollars
• Casey Mize: $2 million
• Jake Rogers: $2.5 million
• Will vest: $1.4 million
• Zach McKinstry: $1.3 million
• Jason Foley: $3.5 million
• Matt Vierling: 3 million dollars
• Andy Ibáñez: $1.5 million
• Beau Brieske: $1.3 million

Draft Rule 5 Protection Orders: Joseph Montalvo and other commercial additions

The Tigers must decide by Nov. 19 which eligible prospects they want to add to the 40-man roster and thus protect themselves from the Rule 5 draft.

Among the many eligible names, pitchers Chase Lee, Tyler Owens and Joseph Montalvo – all additions to the trade deadlines of Texas Rangers last summer – might have the best cases to add to the 40 men. Montalvo may be the most talented of the bunch, but given that he hasn’t made it past the A level yet, another team is also unlikely to select him in the Rule 5 draft. Others as Lael Lockhart Jr., Gauge worker And RJ Petit presents borderline cases.

With 40-man spots limited these days, the Tigers will likely have a high standard for those who are added.

Now that the offseason has begun, here is a list of #Tigers Rule 5 eligible players. pic.twitter.com/JdH2YkiNcb

– Rogelio Castillo (@rogcastbaseball) October 31, 2024

(Top photo of Akil Baddoo: Nic Antaya / Getty Images)