FILE – New York Yankees’ Gleyber Torres reacts after hitting a two-run home run against the Kansas … [+]
Perhaps by now, Detroit sports fans have put their Detroit Lions National Football League Divisional Championship loss on the back burner.
It’s time for baseball.
Spring training begins in Lakeland, Florida this week for the improving Detroit Tigers.
The Tigers finished a solid 2024 season with a record of 86-76, which was 6.5 games behind first place Cleveland in the Central Division.
All About The Money:
Currently, sportrac.com lists the Tigers Tax Payroll to be $143, 000, 416, which places the team 19th in Major League Baseball.
The current Tigers Tax Payroll is above the $104-114 million spent on team payroll last season.
The Guardians current Tax Payroll is $102,987,023, making Cleveland the No. 25 team on the MLB Tax Payroll list.
With the exception of the Chicago White Sox, teams in the American League Central Division play in small to mid-markets, which reflects in the payrolls of the Tigers, Guardians, Minnesota Twins, and Kansas City Royals.
However, the large market White Sox are sitting with a $67,829,999 Tax Payroll, according to the same sportrac.com chart.
The White Sox rank 29th in Tax Payroll. Only the Miami Marlins are below Chicago, at $61,296,666.
This Offseason:
Have the Tigers done enough to catch the Guardians, who have lost powerful first baseman Josh Naylor, and Gold Glove second baseman Andres Gimenez?
To help make up ground, the Tigers have added several new faces to their roster.
New Tigers include second baseman Gleyber Torres, right-handed starter Jack Flaherty, reliever Tommy Kahnle, and starter Alex Cobb.
Cobb is currently dealing with a hip issue, and is likely sidelined for a month.
For this old scout, two new players stand out as the Tigers make their bid to chase down the Guardians.
New York Yankees’ Gleyber Torres is congratulated by teammates after hitting a solo home run against … [+]
1- Gleyber Torres:
On December 27, Gleyber Torres agreed to a one-year, $15 million contract with Detroit.
Torres adds some pop from the right side of the plate to a lineup with impressive, young, left-handed hitters.
Torres, 28, most recently played for the New York Yankees.
Torres is 6-1, 205 pounds.
In 2013, Torres was signed by the Chicago Cubs as an international free agent from Caracas, Venezuela.
The Cubs gave Torres a $1.7 million signing bonus.
Torres was traded to the Yankees in July 2016, in a deal that sent reliever Aroldis Chapman from the Cubs.
Torres became a free agent at the end of this past World Series.
Torres was an American League All Star with the Yankees in 2018, and 2019.
Last season, Torres hit .257/.330/.378/.709, with 80 runs scored, 26 doubles, 15 homers, and 63 RBIs in 665 plate appearances. Torres stole four bases in seven attempts.
In parts of seven seasons, Torres has a stat line of .265/.334/.441/.774, with 138 homers, and 441 RBIs.
Defensively, Torres made 18 errors at second base last year for the Yankees. It was the most of his career.
But if he can get on base, he can be an added threat to a promising offense.
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 03: Jack Flaherty #0 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the … [+]
2- Jack Flaherty:
On February 2, the Tigers signed Jack Flaherty to a two-year, $35 million contract.
Flaherty is 6-4, 225 pounds.
It will be a reunion in their rotation for the Tigers and Flaherty.
Flaherty has been around, and will be in his third stint with Detroit.
Flaherty 29, was selected by the St.Louis Cardinals in the 1st round of the draft in 2014.
The Cardinals gave Flaherty a $2 million signing bonus.
Flaherty made his big league debut in September 2014, and pitched parts of seven seasons with the Cardinals.
Flaherty was traded to the Baltimore Orioles in August 2023, where he made only seven starts.
Flaherty signed back with the Tigers as a free agent in December 2023. In the 2024 season, he made 18 starts with the Tigers, before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 3, 2024.
Last season, in 10 starts with the Dodgers from August 3 on,, Flaherty had a record of 6-2, with a 3.58 ERA, and 1.28 WHIP. He threw 162 innings last year, with 55.1 of those with the Dodgers.
Flaherty has never been an All Star, although he has a career 3.63 ERA in 153 starts. He has thrown 829.2 innings, which means he still should have plenty left in his tank.
Flaherty holds a career strikeout record of 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings, which is impressive.
There has been concern among some MLB clubs about back and hamstring issues that Flaherty has experienced in his past.
Flaherty give the Tigers an awesome combination at the top of their 2025 rotation.
If his back doesn’t tighten up, and if he is healthy, Flaherty should fit nicely in the Tigers rotation behind left-handed All Star/Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, as the No. 2 pitcher in the Tigers rotation.
