One free agent each MLB team should sign right now

Detroit Tigers: Clay Buchholz

The Tigers just scratched one high-upside lottery ticket in Francisco Liriano, so why not another? Clay Buchholz was utterly amazing at times during his 10-year run with the Red Sox, but also utterly frustrating at others. The right-hander never made more than 30 starts in a season, but did throw a no-hitter in his rookie year and went 12-1 with a 1.74 ERA in 16 starts in 203. Buchholz also led the major leagues in ERA+ in 2010 when he went 17-7 with a 2.33 ERA in 28 starts, still the closest he came to pitching a full season in an MLB rotation.

At 33, Buchholz is looking to return to the big leagues after making only two starts last year for Philadelphia. He was sent to the DL with a flexor tendon injury in his throwing arm. The right-hander gave up 16 hits and 10 runs in 7.1 very ugly innings. Buchholz is still an attractive name for a rebuilding team because there is almost no downside to giving him a chance in what will be an otherwise very forgettable rotation.

In his final season with the Red Sox, Buchholz pitched out of the bullpen for the first time in his career. He performed well in the role and had a 3.57 ERA in 22.2 innings. The stint in the bullpen also helped him sharpen his command and return for a successful run of five strong starts in September.

The only way for anyone to know if Buchholz has anything left in the tank after his injury is to get him into camp and let him work his way back to the big leagues. Detroit has the ability to give him plenty of time with no pressure, which makes this a good fit for both sides.