The Detroit Tigers have been one of the more talked-about teams this offseason when it comes to starting pitchers. But it's revolved around Tarik Skubal trade talks.
While everyone focuses on the Tigers' chances of depleting their rotation, the Tigers are seeking out upgrades to the rotation.
According to Evan Petzold of The Detroit Free Press, the Tigers have interest in three starting pitching free agents who are not at the top of the market.
Tigers interested in trio of SP not atop free agent market
"Among their free-agent targets, the Tigers are interested in right-hander Chris Bassitt, right-hander Nick Martinez, and left-hander Jose Quintana, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation," Petzold reports.
This is a trio of starters who, while not the best in Zac Gallen or Framber Valdez, would be nice additions to the rotation for 2026.
Regardless of what the Tigers end up doing with Skubal, they need to bolster their rotation. And one of these three pitchers makes the most sense, as Detroit is showing interest in all three.
Quintana is a 36-year-old veteran who is coming off a 3.96 ERA season for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2025. Bassitt is also 36 years old, and he's coming off a 3.96 ERA season of his own with the Toronto Blue Jays.
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Martinez is 35 years old, but his 2025 season came to a close with a slightly worse 4.45 ERA than what Bassitt and Quintana put up in 2025.
Any of these three additions would make for a solid starter to join the Tigers' rotation. While they won't be relied upon to be an ace, they can eat a lot of innings and help the Tigers get through 2026 with a solid rotation, even if they're not the best in baseball.
Petzold is reporting the Tigers are interested in all three of these starting pitchers, with this trio all being 35 years old or older. It's not the biggest potential addition, but any of these three could be a nice pickup for the Tigers next season.
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