Detroit Tigers: 3 under-the-radar pitchers the Tigers should sign

Mike Foltynewicz is the third arm to consider.

Mike “Folty” Foltynewicz is a bit of a different case, as he was a somewhat decent pitcher for a little while. He has established himself as an eight-season MLB vet with at least a decent reputation for consistently strong play. However, he has yet to live up to the lofty expectations he established after his all-star 2018 year.

Now, many factors could be at play for his regression, and it would be an entirely different article to go through all of them, but let’s just focus on HOW far he’s fallen. Folty had a miserable 2021. Plain and simple. If it hadn’t been for missing time on the COVID-19 list, he would have led the league in homers allowed. He played for a lousy team and performed as such.

Let’s call it as it is: his velocity is gone, and his stuff is not trustworthy. So why in the world would I advocate signing him? Well, he has shown flashes of who he could be. May and June were decent months, and he still can push six-to-seven innings a game. Maybe it isn’t high quality, but it could be enough to win games.

His offspeed stuff can still generate whiffs, and he still has solid control. Even if his ceiling is an innings-eater that turns out a good start or two every few games, wouldn’t it be worth having the depth? Plus, Chris Fetter has already proven to be a guru. If there’s any coach I trust with a veteran reclamation project, it’s him.