Detroit Tigers They come out of nowhere and enter the offseason looking to be the hottest team in baseball and make the postseason after nearly playing double-digit games in late August.

Detroit wasn’t done from there, Houston Astros They lost a heartbreakingly decisive fifth game against their division rivals in the Wild Card round and into the ALDS Cleveland Guards. As the Tigers approach the offseason, they do so with a strategy that should be much more aggressive; because the team has shown they could be just a few pieces away from World Series contention.

One of the reasons the series against Cleveland fell short was the lack of quality in starting pitching behind the superstar. Tariq Skubalwho was the best shooter on the planet. Although upgrades are needed on both corner home points and in general more power The need is there on the roster, finding help after Skubal in the starting rotation might be the biggest need. Roger Castillo of FanSided Detroit has a way of not only strengthening its own rotation but also weakening the team it eliminated by bringing in the 2020 American League Cy Young. Shane BieberEven though Ace is back from injury.

“The Tigers stepped up Jack Flaherty’s game, and the results boosted Detroit’s hopes at the trade deadline,” Castillo wrote. “Bieber’s work with Chris Fetter, Robin Lund and Juan Nieves after Tommy John surgery could get him back into Cy Young form and the cost of his injury would be slightly lower.”

Bieber started the 2024 season hot, allowing zero runs over 12 innings pitched, but it didn’t take long for Cleveland to announce he would join Tommy John in the offseason. This came after a 2023 season in which he was partially healthy, making 21 starts and posting a decent 3.80 ERA. Bieber actually I became elite Since 2022, he has thrown nearly 200 strikeouts along with a 2.88 ERA in 31 starts.

Injury situation makes things difficult drafting a contract For Bieber, however, a shorter-term deal is likely on the table, whether he stays in Cleveland or chooses to leave. Still only 29 years old, there are reasons to be optimistic that the two-time All-Star can turn things around and return to the top echelon of major league pitchers, but depending on him financially would certainly not pose zero risk for the Tigers.