After playing well last season, the Detroit Tigers have been making a statement this season. They currently hold the top spot in the American League Central with their 85-65 record, putting them 6.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Guardians.
They have been one of the most consistent teams in baseball this year with strong pitching performances and a good roster of sluggers. They have the pieces to go far in October, and with some players on the final year of their contracts, they must utilize them to the best of their ability.
Gleyber Torres, Tommy Kahnle, Alex Cobb, and a few other key pieces could be on their way out this offseason. They also have Rafael Montero, who they picked up at the trade deadline, who has performed well, and could also be playing for another team next season.
Tigers face a pivotal decision on their trade deadline reliever
Rafael Montero has bounced between three teams this season. He was originally a member of the Houston Astros before being traded to the Atlanta Braves, and then to Detroit. And since landing in Detroit, he has performed well, pitching in 14 games, holding down a 3.71 ERA across 17 innings of work.
Despite performing well, Motor City Bengals’ Katrina Stebbins questions his future with the club. She spoke about his contract situation and the likelihood that he would be re-signed by Detroit.
“It wouldn’t be surprising if the Tigers re-signed him for another year and $1 million or so and keep the experiment going, but they can do much better on the free agent market. The improvements have been incredibly promising, but it’s still hard to believe that they’re going to stick.”
The front office could certainly re-sign him and keep this thing going. However, the club could do much better with the stacked list of free agent options teams will see this winter.
