The Detroit Tigers’ hopes of a third consecutive postseason appearance are fading fast, as eight losses in nine games have dropped their record to eight games under .500 at 61-69.
The Tigers lost their fifth game in a row on Sunday, 11-7 to the Royals on the road as Kansas City completed a three-game series sweep. Detroit now falls 3.5 games out of the third American League Wild Card spot and seven games behind the division-leading Chicago White Sox in the AL Central.
President of baseball operations Scott Harris and manager AJ Hinch are expected to return in 2027, and the Tigers have some promising young players on the big-league club and in the farm system. This roster, though, is expected to look different when next season opens after a disappointing 2026.
Here are five players who may not be back in 2027.
RHP Jack Flaherty
The right-hander’s two-year, $35-million contract can’t expire soon enough for the Tigers. Flaherty’s record is just 11-23 over the life of the contract, and he has been on the injured list since July 21 with elbow inflammation.
It’s unlikely that the Tigers would have brought Flaherty back on their own accord last winter. He led the AL in losses last year when he was 8-15 with a 4.64 ERA in 31 starts. However, it was an easy choice for Flaherty to exercise his $25-million option rather than enter free agency coming off a 15-loss season.
One positive is that Flaherty threw a bullpen session on Sunday for the first time since being placed on the IL. The bad news is that it is too late for Flaherty to salvage the season as he has a 3-8 record and 4.59 ERA through 19 starts.
OF/INF Javier Baez
Save for a brief career renaissance early last season, Baez has been a bust for the Tigers since signing a six-year, $140-million contract as a free agent. As much as it would be hard to do financially, it is time for the franchise to move on from the 33-year-old shortstop.
Baez has a $24 million salary next season in the last year of his contract. However, that is a lot to pay for a player who is hitting .259/.287/.364 with two homers in 41 games this year while being shelved for most of the season with a sprained ankle. Simply paying him not to take up a roster spot might be the best thing for all involved at this point.
All-Star rookie Kevin McGonigle has been splitting time between shortstop and third base. The Tigers would prefer to keep McGonigle at one spot, and shortstop is the logical position.
2B Gleyber Torres
The veteran second baseman accepted the $22 million qualifying offer from the Tigers last November, but players cannot get a QO twice in their careers. Thus, Torres will enter the free agent market five days after the World Series ends.
Torres is having a good second season in Detroit, hitting .261/.268/.384 with eight home runs in 73 games. However, the Tigers should be able to find someone to match that production next year at a lesser cost.
1B Spencer Torkelson
It is easy to wonder if a change of scenery would help both Torkelson and the Tigers. The first baseman has had a decent year at the plate but simply hasn’t ever lived up to expectations of being the first overall selection in the 2020 draft.
Torkelson is second on the team with 20 home runs in129 games. However, his slash line is .221/.315/.405. It just feels like it’s time for the Tigers to trade the 26-year-old, or simply non-tender him if that doesn't pan out.
RHP Justin Verlander
OK, this isn’t a scoop, but the three-time Cy Young Award winner will retire at the end of the season. Verlander returned to the Tigers this season nine years after they traded him to the Houston Astros, but it hasn’t been a happy homecoming.
Verlander has only pitched once because of hip inflammation. It would have been cool to see if the 43-year-old could have added a few more wins to his career total of 266.
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