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6 Tigers Players Who Could Be Gone Before the 2027 Season
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- 6 Tigers Players Who Could Be Gone Before the 2027 Season
The Detroit Tigers entered 2026 expecting to contend for the American League Central.
They finished 76-86.
Now comes the cleanup.
Detroit enters an important offseason with a young core led by Kevin McGonigle, Max Clark and several other controllable players, but the roster that finished Sunday's season finale won't be the roster that arrives in Lakeland next February.
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Some departures are already guaranteed. Others will depend on decisions from president of baseball operations Scott Harris and general manager Jeff Greenberg.
Gleyber Torres and Jack Flaherty are headed for free agency. Three veteran relievers have club options that Detroit must decide whether to exercise. Justin Verlander has already announced his retirement.
That's six recognizable Tigers whose time in Detroit could be over.
And after a disappointing season, there are legitimate reasons to believe the roster could look considerably different in 2027.
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1. Gleyber Torres
Torres may be the most obvious candidate to leave.
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The veteran second baseman returned to Detroit after accepting a one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer last offseason, but injuries prevented him from replicating his All-Star 2025 season.
Torres played 97 games in 2026, batting .260 with eight home runs, 40 RBIs and a .762 OPS.
Now he's headed back to free agency.
Detroit also has a potential replacement waiting in Hao-Yu Lee, while the free-agent market could provide other options at second base. The possibility of moving on has already led to the argument that the Tigers should let Torres leave in free agency .
Torres helped Detroit during his two seasons with the organization.
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A third season is far from guaranteed.
2. Jack Flaherty
Flaherty's second stint with the Tigers could also be finished.
The right-hander returned from right flexor tendon inflammation to make one final appearance Sunday, allowing one run over two innings.
It may have been his final audition before hitting the open market.
"Taking everything one day at a time," Flaherty said after his final appearance . "Control what you can. Which, for me, is going out and getting ready for next year. Wherever that may be and whenever that may be."
That last sentence says plenty.
Flaherty struggled through an injury-plagued season and finished with a 5.28 ERA over 21 appearances.
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Detroit already has Framber Valdez , Troy Melton , Jackson Jobe and Keider Montero positioned for rotation roles next season.
There could be room for another veteran starter.
It doesn't necessarily have to be Flaherty.
3. Kenley Jansen
Detroit has a decision to make on its closer.
Jansen's contract contains a $12 million club option for 2027 with a $2 million buyout, meaning the Tigers can move on without paying the full salary.
And there is reason to wonder whether they will.
The veteran right-hander recorded 29 saves in his first season with Detroit, but his year was hardly smooth. Jansen finished with a 4.24 ERA and blew seven save opportunities.
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Detroit's bullpen is one of the most obvious areas Harris must address this winter.
In fact, Detroit's offseason outlook identifies finding a new closer as a likely priority.
Jansen is one of the greatest closers in MLB history.
He may have already thrown his final pitch for Detroit.
Tigers Have Two More Bullpen Decisions
The Tigers don't just have Jansen's option to consider.
Two other relievers could become free agents depending on what Detroit decides.
4. Drew Anderson
Anderson turned himself into one of the more interesting stories on Detroit's pitching staff after returning to Major League Baseball following four seasons in Asia.
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He also proved useful in multiple roles.
Anderson started games, pitched out of the bullpen and even handled occasional save situations.
Now Detroit must decide whether that versatility is worth $10 million.
Anderson has a $10 million club option for 2027 with no buyout. Earlier in the season, his strikeout, chase and whiff rates all ranked among the top 20 percent of MLB pitchers .
The Tigers could certainly decide he's worth keeping.
But $10 million is significant money for a pitcher whose primary role isn't guaranteed.
5. Tyler Kinley
Kinley's decision comes at a considerably lower price.
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Detroit holds a $5.5 million optionon the veteran reliever for 2027.
That doesn't make his return automatic.
The Tigers' bullpen struggled throughout stretches of 2026, and Detroit now has an opportunity to reshape the unit around its younger pitching.
The club must determine whether Kinley fits into that plan or whether the $5.5 million would be better allocated elsewhere.
Together, Jansen, Anderson and Kinley represent $27.5 million in potential 2027 option salaries.
Detroit doesn't have to bring back any of them.
6. Justin Verlander
Unlike the other five players, there isn't much suspense here.
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Justin Verlander's playing career is over.
The future Hall of Famer announced his retirement earlier this month and made the final start of his career Saturday, ending where everything began more than two decades earlier.
Verlander's return to Detroit gave Tigers fans one final opportunity to watch one of the greatest pitchers in franchise history wear the Old English D.
But his departure also creates another opening on the 2027 pitching staff.
And that brings us back to the larger issue facing Detroit.
Tigers Have Money and Decisions to Make
This won't simply be an offseason about subtracting players.
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It needs to be about replacing them.
Detroit has approximately $85 million committed to its 2027 payroll, giving the organization significant flexibility after opening 2026 with a payroll around $200 million.
The Tigers need more offense. They need bullpen help. They could use another established starting pitcher.
They also need to determine how quickly they are willing to hand larger roles to McGonigle, Clark, Lee and the rest of a young core that became increasingly important as the 2026 season unraveled.
Torres and Flaherty can leave as free agents.
Jansen, Anderson and Kinley could become free agents if Detroit declines their options.
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Verlander is already headed into retirement.
Six familiar names.
And after a 76-win season that fell well short of expectations, don't be surprised if several of them aren't wearing Tigers uniforms when Opening Day arrives in 2027.
