5 free agents the Detroit Tigers need to sign following the lockout

The Detroit Tigers should consider signing free-agent starter Michael Pineda.

Michael Pineda stands a towering 6-foot-7 and can be a cheap-ish back of the rotation arm.  I see Pineda as an upgrade to Jose Urena.  Wily Peralta, who posted an ERA of 3.07 last season, remains an option, but they need to consider bringing in Pineda if Detroit can’t come to terms with the veteran right-hander.

Peralta pitched to a 2.0 WAR earning four wins in 18 starts pitching 93.2 innings but only striking out 58 along the way.  Peralta would be the last option of this group I’ve mentioned in this article.

The 33-year old right-hander tossed 109.1 innings last season for the Tigers’ rival Minnesota Twins posting a 9-8 record to go with a solid 3.63 ERA and 1.235 WHIP while striking out 88.  Pineda won’t wow you like he once did in his career as a rookie with Seattle, but he still has the ability to provide the Tigers with a reliable back of the rotation arm to help mentor the youthful starting staff.

Pineda has posted consistent numbers with the Twins in each of the last three seasons, going 11-5 back in 2019.  Over the three-year stretch, he’s tossed 282 innings posting a 3.80 ERA, 3.98 FIP with a WHIP of 1.192 en route to a 22-13 record.

In my eyes, the Tigers are best suited to move Tyler Alexander back into a bullpen role where he can be extremely valuable pitching in a variety of situations.

Detroit can use him as a spot starter, long reliever, or as a situational lefty when the opportunity presents itself.  As of now, he’s slated to be the fifth starter, but I hope the organization elects to bring in one more proven starter to help stabilize the backend of the rotation with Matt Manning.