DETROIT — The offseason calendar churns on, with Gleyber Torres officially coming back and the Tigers protecting five players from the Rule 5 draft while clearing out a bundle of relief pitching, including pitchers such as Jason Foley and Sean Guenther.
Not so long ago, Foley and Guenther were central to the pitching chaos plan that helped change the trajectory of the franchise. It’s a reminder that success in this game is often fleeting, and you never know when your fortunes will turn, for better or worse.
Now the non-tender deadline is approaching Friday. Andy Ibáñez and Beau Brieske are the two most interesting names to watch as the Tigers continue cleaning up their roster and preparing for future acquisitions.
Tigers 40-man moves
Added:
IF/OF Trei Cruz
IF Hao-Yu Lee
C/1B Eduardo Valencia
C/1B Thayron Liranzo
LHP Jake Miller
DFA’d:
RHP Dugan Darnell
RHP Jason Foley
LHP Sean Guenther
RHP Jack Little
RHP Tyler Mattison
RHP Tanner Rainey
— Cody Stavenhagen (@CodyStavenhagen) November 18, 2025
As we wait for the hot stove to heat up, let’s turn to a few more reader questions.
Note: Submitted questions have been edited for clarity and length.
Jake Rogers might be an under-the-radar non-tender candidate. Given his tenure with the org and his knowledge of what they’re trying to do, I think the $3/4 million is worth it, but it’s a little higher for a backup catcher. What percent chance would you guess he’s back? — Zeke J.
MLBTradeRumors projects Rogers to earn $2.9 million via arbitration. It’s true the Tigers might be able to get a catcher of similar abilities for cheaper. But it’s not like Rogers is breaking the bank, so I think it would be extreme penny-pinching to move on from a quality backup catcher and clubhouse leader in this situation.
There’s no stronger endorsement for Rogers than what Dillon Dingler said after Dingler won his Gold Glove: “He’s the leader on the team. He is the leader of the team. He always has been. Him being there for me and him being there for everybody on our team was big, was absolutely huge, so I couldn’t thank him enough.”
Although Rogers’ bat is what it is at this point, he’s still a plus defensive catcher. The Tigers have Tomas Nido on a minor-league deal to provide depth and maybe even a little competition. But I’d say there’s at least a 90 percent chance Rogers is back in 2026. You can’t claim to be all about culture and non-tender someone like Rogers just to save a few bucks.
What is the Tigers’ position on Max Anderson? Do they see him as an everyday player? With how well he’s hit in the minors, will they give him an opportunity to win a starting job in spring training? — Martin B.
Sure seems the Tigers are big on Anderson, and rightfully so. Anderson hit .296 with 19 homers across Double A and Triple A last season, then hit a cool .447 over 14 games in the Arizona Fall League. He was even a great recent podcast guest.
Polling a few scouts about Anderson over the last few months, there seems to be a pretty consensus opinion. He could be a legit major-league bat. He might not have a true defensive home.
That puts him at some risk like Jace Jung, Justyn-Henry Malloy and a bundle of other Tigers prospects before him. But the Tigers would certainly love for him to be something close to an everyday player.
Especially given the return of Torres, I think it will be difficult for Anderson to make the Opening Day roster. But there’s a pretty strong chance for him to debut at some point in 2025.
Is Kevin McGonigle’s defense good enough to play shortstop in the majors? — Michael P.
Depends on who you ask. Most scouts seem to think he’s best suited for second, but you can find a few who will not rule out the idea of McGonigle sticking at shortstop, at least for the start of his career. I tend to be kind of pessimistic on these things — if it’s unclear whether you’re a shortstop, it probably means you’re better off at second or third. There is a very high bar to be a plus shortstop in the major leagues.
But McGonigle is plenty capable of spending time at short next year. The question is: How much are the Tigers comfortable with?
Have you heard any updates on Jackson Jobe’s recovery progress? Do you think they may push him to be ready for the playoff run next September? By my math, that should put him 15 months post op. — John W.
The Tigers do a better job of sharing injury information than many MLB teams. But I can’t say the latest word on Jobe was overly enlightening:
“RHP Jackson Jobe (right UCL reconstruction) is completing rehab daily.”
Jobe had Tommy John surgery in June. For reference, José Urquidy had TJ in early June of 2024 and was able to get back to the major leagues by the next September. So the idea of Jobe pitching in 2026 isn’t out of the question.
I do think the Tigers will be cautious rather than push him, especially given his importance to the franchise. Each rehab and recovery is different. Some of it could depend on need.
I think the team needs to go into the year not counting on Jobe to pitch. If he ends up being good to go by September, that would be a terrific development.
Would you sign Ha-Seong Kim to a long-term deal, and if so, how many years would you give him? Reminder: He finished last year with a .649 OPS (83 OPS+) and negative defensive stats because his arm strength plummeted coming back from surgery. — Robert J.
I do love Kim. I don’t think I would sign him to a four- or five-year deal, though.
I was somewhat surprised Kim opted out of his deal with the Atlanta Braves rather than returning to make $16 million next year.
Given all you mentioned, as well as the fact that Kim played only 48 games last season, I’m curious what kind of deal he’s seeking. Our big board at The Athletic has him projected at three years and $50 million. The reason I like Kim? He was worth 10.4 fWAR from 2022-24. He walks at an above-average rate and doesn’t strike out much. He has a history of strong defense despite the arm concerns. In his first 19 games with the Braves, he was hitting .309 with an .828 OPS, so it’s not like he was terrible all last year.
If the Tigers aren’t willing to go above and beyond to sign an Alex Bregman or Bo Bichette, I think of Kim as a lower-cost, shorter-term alternative. If Kim were willing to take another one-year deal with a higher AAV and a player option for 2027, he could be a pretty nice stopgap while waiting for Bryce Rainer (also dealing with a shoulder issue) to get closer to the big leagues.
Gleyber is back. Might the conversation shift to finding a right-handed center-field bat given Parker Meadows’ struggles? If so, who might that be? — Martin B.
One thing that’s clear: Upgrading in center field or shortstop would be a more natural fit than adding Bregman or someone else to play third.
The problem? There just aren’t that many great options available at either position.
I doubt the Tigers would seek a right-hander to platoon with Meadows, given they have both Matt Vierling and the switch hitting Wenceel Perez perfectly capable of filling that role.
Meadows still has upside, so I don’t think signing a risky player like Trent Grisham (had he declined the New York Yankees’ qualifying offer) would have made sense. Cody Bellinger isn’t a great fit to stay in center field. I don’t think the Tigers would pay Harrison Bader with Vierling and Pérez already at their disposal.
But if they could trade for Jarren Duran? He’s like Meadows with a higher floor and a more proven track record.
I’m not counting on the Tigers to make any sort of blockbuster trade. But I certainly think these are questions worth raising.