Detroit

Tigers

Detroit continues fortifying their high-leverage mix with Jansen joining Kyle Finnegan and Will Vest as ninth-inning options for manager A.J. Hinch. The 38-year-old veteran enters next season just 24 saves shy of the 500 mark after converting 29 chances to accompany a strong 2.59 ERA — 3.98 FIP — and 24.4 percent strikeout rate across 59 innings for the Angels this past season. It’s a phenomenal landing spot from a fantasy perspective as Jansen projects as the clear favorite to handle closing duties with Finnegan and Vest positioned as contingency plans rather than true competition.

There had been some thought that the Tigers would pull back on their interest after bringing Finnegan back, but it looks like they are set on bolstering their bullpen as much as possible. The Angels have also been linked to bringing the 38-year-old right-hander back for another season. With the relief pitching market in full swing at the moment, Jansen could find a landing spot sooner rather than later.

The Tigers needed to clear a spot on their 40-man roster for the addition of Kyle Finnegan on Friday and they accomplished that by flipping Lee to the Jays for Simon. The 24-year-old southpaw registered a 3.42 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and a 79/29 K/BB ratio over 71 innings across three minor league levels in 2025 culminating in six strong appearances at Double-A New Hampshire. He’ll add bullpen depth in the upper minors for the Tigers and could be poised to make his big league debut at some point during the 2026 campaign.

Waites represents a low-risk dart throw for Detroit’s relief mix after spending most of the past two seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery at the conclusion of the 2023 campaign. The hard-throwing 27-year-old made a handful of rehab appearances last season in San Francisco’s system and should be ready to compete for a spot in the Tigers’ bullpen in spring training.

He added that the Tigers were intrigued by the possibility of a deal with the Dodgers, though he still doesn’t think Skubal will be traded this winter. It’s going to be very difficult to come up with a deal that makes sense for both the Tigers, who very much want to contend in 2026, and a suitor that knows it would only be getting baseball’s best pitcher for one year prior to free agency.

Petit is massive, a 6-foot-8 hurler that is listed at 300 pounds. He forged a 2.68 ERA while reaching Triple-A Toledo in 2025 with a K/BB ratio of 79/22 over 66 1/3 innings. He has a good chance of being a relatively-significant part of the Colorado bullpen in 2026.

Finnegan returns to the Motor City after a dominant post-deadline stint in which he posted a microscopic 1.50 ERA (1.97 FIP) and a 34.8 percent strikeout rate across 18 innings over 16 appearances. That level of dominance is almost certainly a small-sample outlier compared to his larger career body of work, which includes a strong 3.66 ERA (4.17 FIP) and 108 saves across 329 1/3 innings for the Nationals over a six-year span since 2020. However, Detroit still offers his clearest path to a ninth-inning role — and, by extension, sustained fantasy relevance — as he enters his mid-30s. He’ll presumably have an opportunity to overtake incumbent stopper Will Vest as the Tigers’ primary closer and profiles as a top-20 range option at the position heading into next season.

Olson hit the injured list with a shoulder strain in late July and never made it back in time for Detroit’s postseason run. The 26-year-old received a PRP injection and was able to avoid undergoing offseason surgery. The hope is that he’ll be a full-go in time for spring training after posting a career-best 3.15 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 65/25 K/BB ratio across 68 2/3 innings over 13 starts this past season.

Kim is coming off a rough, injury-plagued season in which he hit .234/.304/.345 in 48 games with the Rays and Braves. He was significantly better with Atlanta to close the year, hitting .253/.316/.368 with three home runs and 12 RBI in 24 games. In his career, Kim has been a solid defender at shortstop and also shown the ability to play second base and third base. The Tigers have been using Zach McKinstry a lot at shortstop with Trey Sweeney not developing the way the team had hoped. That means the spot could be open for a free agent, like Kim.

Alexander specifies that the Tigers are actively interested in adding Jansen to their bullpen, while the Angels “have also checked in on Jansen.” The 38-year-old notched 29 saves last season for the Angels with a 2.59 ERA in 59 innings. His underlying metrics were not quite as kind, and the strikeout upside isn’t what it was before, but Jansen has remained a solid late-inning reliever. The Tigers are also interested in Kyle Finnegan, so they seem intent on adding a right-handed closer to pair with Will Vest.