The Detroit Tigers' season came to an unfortunate end on Friday. During a marathon 15-inning ALDS Game 5 against the Seattle Mariners, Detroit came up just short.
Now, it is time for the club to start thinking about its future. They have multiple players that will be free agents when the season comes to an end, like Gleyber Torres, Tommy Kahnle, Chris Paddack, and Kyle Finnegan, just to name a few.
The front office must decide which of these players is worth chasing and which ones could be replaced over the winter. They also must look at the options on the open market and see if any of the big names would be worth taking a shot at.
Tigers emerge as surprise candidate to sign star slugger in free agency
One player who plans on opting out of his contract to test free agency is New York Yankees slugger Cody Bellinger. He is coming off an impressive season where he played in 152 games during the regular season, hitting .272/.334/.480 with 29 home runs and 98 runs batted in.
He could be somebody who could help Detroit, especially with the number of injuries they had to their outfield this season. Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter believes Detroit could be a dark-horse candidate for Bellinger.
"However, there is also a potential fit for Bellinger in the outfield, especially given the injury issues Parker Meadows has navigated and the limited track record Wenceel Perez provides. They are also an organization that values defense versatility more than most, and could use Bellinger all over the outfield and in occasional starts at first base with Spencer Torkelson serving as designated hitter."
Rueter believes Bellinger's versatility could also be a reason for Detroit to be high on him. He could give Spencer Torkelson breaks at first base, while also serving all three outfield spots.