The Detroit Tigers' offseason will begin with deadlines rather than outside additions.
The Tigers must decide whether to exercise two club options, determine which arbitration-eligible players deserve contracts and consider extensions for players approaching free agency. Detroit must also create enough 40-man roster space to reinstate players from the 60-day injured list and protect eligible prospects from the Rule 5 Draft.
Some choices appeared relatively simple after a disappointing 76-86 campaign. Others could influence the roster well beyond Opening Day.
Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Kenley Jansen. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Detroit's first major deadline arrives five days after the World Series, when most contract-option decisions must be completed. The Tigers hold club options on Drew Anderson and Kenley Jansen , according to MLB's option tracker .
Anderson's option would pay him $10 million in 2027. The right-hander finished with a 3.67 ERA across 108 innings after moving between the bullpen and rotation.
His improvement as a starter made the option defensible, particularly after the trades of Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize created uncertainty around the rotation. Detroit could exercise the option and retain Anderson as a starter, use him as a multi-inning pitcher, or explore his trade value.
The club should not base the decision solely on his overall ERA. As examined in a deeper analysis of Anderson's $10 million question , the Tigers must determine whether his success in the rotation represented a sustainable change or another short sample from a 32-year-old pitcher.
Jansen's contract presents a different calculation. His agreement contained a $12 million club option and a $2 million buyout, meaning Detroit would assume an additional $10 million commitment by retaining him.
Jansen recorded 21 saves with a 3.35 ERA, but he would pitch at 39 next year. The Tigers could decide that paying an aging closer eight figures would restrict their ability to reconstruct a bullpen that struggled to protect leads.
Declining the option would not prevent Detroit from negotiating a less expensive contract with Jansen. It would allow the veteran to speak with every team; however, making his return less likely.
The Tigers did not have a player option affecting their 2027 roster. Framber Valdez remained under contract for next year, with his player option applying to 2028.
Detroit must also decide whether Jack Flaherty deserves a qualifying offer before he enters unrestricted free agency. Gleyber Torres could not receive another qualifying offer because he accepted one before the 2026 campaign. Flaherty's injuries and 4.48 ERA could make the one-year qualifying-offer salary too expensive, even if the Tigers remained interested in a reunion.
Torres, Flaherty, Tyler Kinley , and Burch Smith were among Detroit's unrestricted free agents. Justin Verlander also reached the end of his contract but announced his retirement. Their individual cases were examined in the Tigers players most likely to leave before Opening Day .
Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Tigers' larger workload involves 12 arbitration-eligible players, according to the current FanGraphs RosterResource payroll ledger .
Riley Greene , Spencer Torkelson , Kerry Carpenter , Tyler Holton and Reese Olson represented the easiest tender decisions. Will Vest , Beau Brieske , Parker Meadows and Wenceel Prez also remained valuable enough to justify contracts, although their recent injuries complicated Detroit's projections.
Prez presented an especially unusual situation. He missed the second half after an exercise band struck him in the face, and continuing eyesight problems left his expected return uncertain. The outfielder's injury created a larger 2027 roster question , but his team control and versatility still made a tender more likely than an immediate departure.
The most credible non-tender candidates were Zach McKinstry , Matt Vierling , and Jacob Waguespack .
McKinstry earned $4.2 million before finishing with a .199/.288/.294 slash line. Arbitration could produce another raise despite that decline, forcing Detroit to decide whether his defensive versatility remained worth the expense.
The Tigers could tender McKinstry, pursue a trade, retain him as a utility player, or make him a free agent. His individual contract breakdown explained why his 2025 All-Star selection could not automatically guarantee another roster spot.
Vierling also faced uncertainty after injuries and declining production reduced his role. Waguespack was out of minor league options, increasing the possibility that Detroit could replace him with a pitcher who provided greater roster flexibility.
Holton stood at the opposite end of the arbitration discussion. His 2.76 ERA and ability to work in several roles made another contract likely, although his elevated baserunner rate created a warning the Tigers could not ignore. That concern received a deeper examination in his year-end evaluation.
Extension discussions could become the final layer of Detroit's contract work. Kevin McGonigle's eight-year, $150 million agreement, which begins in 2027, demonstrated that the organization would make an aggressive commitment to a young cornerstone.
Greene represented the clearest established candidate for another long-term agreement. He remained under club control through 2028, but his arbitration salaries should continue rising. An extension could give Greene financial security while allowing the Tigers to purchase free-agent years and build additional cost certainty around McGonigle.
Torkelson and Carpenter could also enter multi-year discussions, although Detroit had less reason to move immediately; both remained under team control through 2028.
Javier Bez and Valdez present roster decisions without conventional deadlines. Both remained guaranteed for 2027, meaning the Tigers could retain them, attempt a trade, or release them while accepting the remaining financial obligation.
Each choice affects the others. Exercising Anderson's option could reduce the need for another starter; declining Jansen's option could redirect money toward multiple relievers, and non-tendering a veteran utility player could create an opportunity for Detroit's younger position players.
The Tigers don't need to complete every decision right away. They need each move to support a coherent 2027 roster, not another collection of expensive parts without a dependable fit.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/tigers/onsi as Every Major Contract Decision Facing the Tigers This Offseason .
