Detroit Tigers should concentrate remainder of spending on the bullpen

The Detroit Tigers have been a busy organization this offseason, and while no work can be done right now, they need to go out and consider spending to round out the team’s bullpen. Given that the work stoppage prevents moves from being discussed and finalized, the Tigers will have work to do when the time comes to start back up again.

When it comes to the Detroit Tigers, they have always had a weak bullpen throughout this rebuild and coming out of it. Things have taken time to improve, but last year, the bullpen had taken some steps in the right direction, but there is still plenty of room to go.

This team’s bullpen is far from that of the recent New York Yankees bullpen that featured Chad Green, Adam Ottavino, Dellin Betances, and Aroldis Chapman to close things off. I’m not expecting the Tigers to go out and completely revamp their bullpen, but focusing a good chunk of their spending on bullpen arms is the right move.

While the team has brought in Jacob Barnes on a minor league deal with an MLB Spring Training invite, they have a long way to go. Even thinking that Michael Fulmer will return to the back of the bullpen to join de facto closer Gregory Soto is great,  but there have to be more trusted bullpen arms in 2022.

They have some arms who are going to return and be valuable to the team’s bullpen in 2022, but it’s not enough as it stands. The Tigers have to do something; they must make some changes back there, and utilizing the free-agent market is the easiest way to accomplish this.

The Detroit Tigers need to concentrate spending on the bullpen.

There are plenty of options out there to consider signing. Something has to be done, whether it’s adding players who could be of closer caliber or steady relief depth. It’s one of those things that is going to help the Tigers pick up wins as the season goes on.

Rather than having to worry about blowing a save or just a lead itself every time the team is winning, having some consistency and arms to trust will help turn this bullpen around. With in-house players like Kyle Funkhouser and Alex Lange looking to really settle into bullpen roles in 2022, the outside additions will only help create depth and build out this group.

As I mentioned early on, I’m not expecting the team to have four players who could be closers around the league in the back of the bullpen, but having options and several people that A.J. Hinch can give the ball to is only going to help them post-rebuild.

Not to mention, if the Tigers do want to be sellers at the 2022 trade deadline, having relief arms that are liquid assets will be something the team can capitalize on. It’s just another reason that a good chunk of the remainder of the team’s offseason spending needs to be funneled into the bullpen.