Detroit Tigers: Another former player hits the open market this offseason

The Detroit Tigers are going to have to get creative this offseason and find a way to add in players who are going to bring impact to this roster. The free-agent market is sorting itself out, and the offseason is here.

The stove is not hot quite yet, but as pieces start to fall, the Detroit Tigers are going to start making some moves. Oddly enough, the Tigers could go back and reconstruct some of their old rosters.

There are plenty of former Tigers on the market. Still, ahead of the deadline, Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nicholas Castellanos declined his option and chose to hit the market in free agency. There’s no ready and waiting list of suitors, but the former Tigers outfielder is going to test free agency waters.

He chose to bypass the final two years and $34 million of his original four-year, $64 million contract he signed. It’s a blow for the Reds, who already traded catcher Tucker Barnhart to the Tigers this week. But for the Tigers, it could leave them a chance to add another former player.

Another former Detroit Tigers player has hit the market.

While the Tigers are not totally in need of an outfielder, it’s another former Tigers player who was a core of the team’s roster in the recent past. Besides Castellanos, there are plenty of other former Tigers the team can choose from.

Whether it’s veteran shortstop José Iglesias who is looking for a new place to call home or trade deadline steal for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Max Scherzer, there are options. While the likelihood of signing Scherzer is probably low, it’s a fun pipe dream to think about.

A player who was injured this year but was a hero in this city is Justin Verlander. This offseason, he is a free agent and might be worth targeting for the Tigers as they start to construct their roster for the 2022 season.

Shortly after winning a championship ring with the Atlanta Braves, Drew Smyly will also hit free agency. The point is, the Tigers are going to have the chance to bring back a plethora of former team members, and Castellanos choosing to opt-out just adds another one into the mix.

However, Castellanos seems highly unlikely to come back to Detroit. His comments about how things went down with the organization showed some definite frustration with the organization.

Time will tell what the team does this offseason, but fans should be happy as long as the roster sees some significant increases for the 2022 season.