Detroit Tigers: Bullpen needs to be re-worked during the offseason

As the Detroit Tigers sit back for a break, the offseason is quickly approaching. The offseason brings a world of uncertainty and will require them to make some decisions.

Let’s make things clear. The 2021 Detroit Tigers team was fun to watch, and they took plenty of steps in the right direction, but there is still plenty more that can be done. One of the areas the Tigers had struggled with for the past few years when the team was broken down is their bullpen.

Trying to build the right bullpen or piece together a competent one during the rebuild was not the easiest. There were some positives and good things from the bullpen in 2021, but things still need to change.

Taking a look at the team’s 2021 season grades and how they fared, it’s clear that there are still improvements to be made. Heading into this offseason, the Tigers should be looking to beef things up in the bullpen, or should I say, “arm barn.”

The Detroit Tigers need to rework their bullpen.

As the offseason progresses, it’s going to require the team to spend some money. Even on short-term and team-friendly deals, the right bullpen can be built. While I am not comparing the Detroit Tigers to the Houston Astros or Atlanta Braves, but not every arm in that team’s bullpen cost them $10+ million a year or required a farm system pilfering via trade.

While the Tigers are certainly not making the World Series in 2022, they are going to start building to be a competitive team once again. This starts with a competent bullpen. It seems that the best way to do this is going to come from the free-agent market as well as some possible trades.

For example, without going too far into detail for this specific piece, there’s going to be plenty of arms on the market. Just doing a quick glance over the pending free agents who will hit the market in the coming month or so, a few players come to mind.

Relievers To Target This Offseason

• Daniel Hudson
• Adam Ottavino
• David Robertson
• Hansel Robles
• Chaz Roe

These are many of the plenty relievers who will be on the market. The Tigers need to figure out which players will be financially viable and also be able to help them rework their bullpen. There are other options too.

The Tigers could reach out to other teams looking to add a relief arm via trade if that turns out to be the best option. What really matters is that the Tigers rework the bullpen for the 2022 season.

As long as the Tigers come into the 2022 season with a better bullpen, they’re going to have a better chance to rack up more wins.