Tigers: 3 free agents to sign and 1 to avoid this offseason

There’s no way that arguably the game’s best catcher, and potentially the top position player on the free-agent market, would sign with a last-place team, right? Well, the Tigers managed to pull off that very feat a few years ago with Ivan Rodriguez, so it’s entirely possible that Realmuto will come to Detroit if they offer him enough money. With the likes of No. 1 overall pick Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal, and Michael Fulmer all in need of a veteran game-caller to either help them become stars in the league for the first tike or, in the case of Fulmer, aiding in their resurgence back to the top, Realmuto makes sense both in the field and at the plate.

An average 162-game stretch for Realmuto, who was an All-Star in 2018 with the Marlins and 2019 with the Phillies, involves him hitting .278 with 21 home runs, 79 RBIs, and 10 stoles bases, offering uniquely impressive production from the catcher position. Realmuto arriving in Detroit would bring them a cornerstone they can build their team around, an elite offensive catcher after years of poor play at that position, and a No. 3 hitter that the rest of the lineup can revolve around. Their record shouldn’t dissuade them from making a run at Realmuto.