MLB Rumors: Grading 3 items on the Detroit Tigers' offseason wish list

MLB Rumors: If Rodriguez opts out, how do the Tigers replace him?

The good news for the Tigers is that, should Rodriguez opt out of his contract, there will be plenty of options to replace him in free agency. And considering their success with Michael Lorenzen, that should be plenty intriguing to other free agents.

Perhaps the Tigers pursue a Jack Flaherty-type, a player who is immensely talented but has struggled to the tune of a 4.96 ERA and 146 strikeouts in 143.1 innings. He could be a candidate for a short-term deal in free agency with the hope of boosting his value and if that’s the case, Detroit could be a strong fit.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, Flaherty’s hometown team, could also be in play. It’s also worth noting that Flaherty and Lorenzen share the same agent.

There will be other options for the Tigers to pursue, of course, with other options including Lucas Giolito, Hyun-jin Ryu, Martin Perez, Zack Greinke, James Paxton and Alex Wood, among others. There are other top options available such as Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery and Aaron Nola, but they figure to be well out of the Tigers’ budget.