The Detroit Tigers were often mentioned as one of the worst teams in MLB in the last few years.
In fact, they haven’t made the postseason since 2014, tied with the Los Angeles Angels for the longest drought in baseball at the moment.
However, they no longer belong in the same tier as the Oakland Athletics, the Kansas City Royals, the Washington Nationals, or the Colorado Rockies.
They are better than that: they even finished second in the AL Central ahead of the Cleveland Guardians in 2023, with a 78-84 record.
Seeing how they are actually not that far from truly competing for a postseason spot, they seem determined to add to one of their units.
“The Tigers are looking closely at the FA starting pitching market and checked in on Lance Lynn before he signed with the Cardinals. Seth Lugo is another name of interest to Detroit. Lugo, 34, posted a 3.35 ERA over his final 18 starts this year,” MLB insider Jon Morosi tweeted.
The Tigers are looking closely at the FA starting pitching market and checked in on Lance Lynn before he signed with the Cardinals.
Seth Lugo is another name of interest to Detroit. Lugo, 34, posted a 3.35 ERA over his final 18 starts this year.@MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 20, 2023
With a 4.24 ERA in 2023, the Tigers finished 17th among 30 teams, so their pitching was in the middle of the pack.
With a couple of upgrades in the rotation, the surging core of Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene, and Kerry Carpenter, and some exciting prospects on the way, the Tigers could dream about making the postseason at some point in 2024 or 2025.
If they can land Lugo, it would be an organizational coup.
They need to play their cards right, though, and it’s important to remember that they are also losing star pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez to free agency.
There is work to be done, but there is a path and a way for the Tigers.
