By admin 
It was a great 2024 season for the Detroit Tigersand they will now focus on improving this offseason.
During the stretch run, the Tigers were able to lean heavily on their ace Tarik Skubal and their bullpen. Manager AJ Hinch has done a great job navigating the bullpen.
After exceeding all expectations in 2024, Detroit will now have a lot of eyes on them as they almost made it to the American League Championship Series. This season, the Tigers will look to improve their team and prove that their recent success was no fluke.
Even though the franchise could lean on Skubal and their bullpen to close out the season, it doesn’t feel like it will be sustainable for an entire season, and they should look to add a quality starting pitcher in free agency.
Recently, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report talked about the Tigers being the best fit for that Walker Buhler in free agency.
“It could also be a selling point for Buehler that Detroit was able to immediately relaunch Skubal as a star after he missed more than 11 months (flexor tendon surgery) between the 2022 and 2023 campaigns, allowing Mize to return to respectability pitch. level this year after missing nearly all of 2022 and all of 2023 following Tommy John surgery, turning Flaherty back into a star in the first few months of this season. We’ll see. But a rotation of Skubal, Buehler, Mize, Olson and Jackson Jobe could make Detroit much more than just a two-month flash in the pan.
The combination of Buehler and Detroit makes a lot of sense on paper. With the Tigers looking to compete again in 2025, adding a starter with the ability to be the No. 2 behind their top prospect will be crucial.
Although bullpens are heavily relied upon in the playoffs, having a strong starting staff is still very important as bullpens can become burned out after several games in a row.
From a financial perspective, the veteran right-hander will likely make sense for Detroit as well. Coming off a poor 2024 overall, Buehler will likely look for a one-year deal to prove he’s back to his old self, then look to cash in on free agency after the 2025 season.
If the 30-year-old can pitch like he did in the World Series, he would be an excellent addition to Detroit.