With the Detroit Tigers playing out the string of what has been a disappointing 2026 season, the focus - apart from one final Justin Verlander start - shifts to what is poised to be a critical off-season.
The Tigers addressed two of their bigger off-season questions back at the trade deadline, extracting value from pending free agent pitchers Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize rather than losing them for nothing this winter.
Even still, the club could have as many as six unrestricted free agents. Three of those players - Verlander, Gleyber Torres , Jack Flaherty - are guaranteed to be in need of new contracts (or, like Verlander, set to retire). The other three carry team options.
The 2027 futures of Kenley Jansen , Drew Anderson and Tyler Kinley all rest in the hands of Detroit, who have until free agency opens five days after the end of the World Series to decide whether to keep the three players or let them walk. Jansen carries a $12 million option for next season, Anderson has a $10 million option and Kinley has a $5.5 million option.
Each forthcoming team option presents an interesting case for GM Jeff Greenberg and the rest of the Tigers' front office.
Detroit Tigers reliever Kenley Jansen. Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Jansen has endured a considerable drop in performance in his first season in Detroit. He has fallen off from his 2025 form in saves (21, from 29), ERA (3.35, from 2.59) and strikeouts (49, from 57). But even while age-related decline is to be expected from the soon-to-be 39-year-old, it's worth noting that the club's bullpen has been terrible in general. In fact, fellow late-inning relief options like Kyle Finnegan and Will Vest have performed worse than Jansen.
Jansen's best years are likely behind him, but it might be worth a $12 million flyer to retain an effective, savvy late inning bullpen option with plenty of big game experience for a team that still intends to be a playoff contender next season.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Drew Anderson. Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Given the uncertainty surrounding the Tigers' pitching staff heading into next year, locking in Anderson at $10 million seems like a no-brainer for the club. In his first season back stateside after spending four years playing his trade in Asia, he has gone 5-7 with a 3.67 ERA over 49 appearances and 11 starts.
Anderson was converted into a starter after the Skubal and Mize trades robbed Detroit of much of their starting pitching depth, and he's been lights out ever since. Since joining the rotation, the 32-year-old is 1-3 with a 2.61 ERA over 51.2 innings.
If Anderson were to stick around and occupy a role in the starting five, it would provide a little bit of peace of mind for a unit in flux. Looking ahead to the 2027 rotation, the club could look to move on from Framber Valdez , who has underwhelmed this season and is set to earn $42 million next year.
They are set to bring back Jackson Jobe , Keider Montero and a returning Reese Olson , but there is little certainty in that group. And the potential arrival of River Ryan does little to improve that.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Tyler Kinley. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
An August waiver wire pick-up after being released by the Atlanta Braves , Kinley has found his game as a reliever out of the Tigers' bullpen. In much the same way as he was boosted by a 2025 mid-season trade from Colorado to Atlanta, he has found new life in Detroit.
Kinley has gone 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA in 13 games as a Tiger after seeing his ERA hover around 4.00 with the Braves. The 35-year-old has become a trusted part of manager A.J. Hinch's bullpen, assuming late inning, high pressure relief roles.
You could certainly do worse than Kinley for $5.5 million, but it's unlikely that Detroit will make the right-hander much of an off-season priority.
A complicated and challenging off-season awaits Greenberg and company, and those challenges begin with decisions on what to do with the Tigers' own free agent contract options.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/tigers/onsi as Tigers Have Decisions to Make on 3 Players with Upcoming Team Options .
