The Detroit Tigers are one of the more interesting teams to watch during the offseason. While many will speculate on Tarik Skubal's trade availability, Detroit could also become aggressive in free agency to make his last year in Detroit a good one.
Jack Flaherty is back, and the Tigers have Casey Mize along with Skubal in their rotation for the upcoming 2026 MLB season. But there's always room to add more starters to the rotation.
According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, the Tigers have interest in a few different players, with the most notable being a former Philadelphia Phillies ace who has a 1.48 ERA in the postseason.
Tigers interested in Phillies free agent SP Ranger Suarez
"There are several teams besides the Phillies that have interest in Ranger Suarez," Bowden writes, "including the Astros, Braves, Padres, Mets, Angels, and Tigers."
Ranger Suarez is one of the more fascinating free agents on the market. While he's not been a consistent starter like Dylan Cease, nor does he have the elite fastball that's dominated the advanced analytics, he does have some incredible stuff.
While he's dealt with some back issues the last few seasons, the wear and tear on his arm, just 762 career innings pitched, makes Suarez an appealing free agent target.
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He's 30 years old and had a 3.20 ERA in 2025 with the Phillies. But his most impressive trait is how clutch he's been. Across eight starts and 11 total appearances in the postseason, he has just a 1.48 ERA.
Detroit having interest in Suarez is noteworthy, as not only are they not likely to trade Skubal, but they could bolster the rotation with another dominant left-hander in Suarez.
He likely won't make Cease money, around $210 million total, but his contract won't be cheap. If the Tigers are serious about contending, Suarez would be a good pitcher to add to the rotation for 2026 and beyond.
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