DETROIT – Detroit Tigers President Scott Harris and Manager A.J. Hinch spoke at their end-of-season briefing about offseason moves and free agents, Javier Baez’s future, Tarik Skubal extension talks, and much more.
The Tigers are coming off their best season in a decade. They ripped off 31 wins in 42 games down the stretch to clinch a wild card spot and then upset the Houston Astros to make the ALDS.
That’s where their run came to an end, though. After winning two of the first three games, the Tigers lost leads in Game 4 at home and Game 5 on the road against the Cleveland Guardians.
READ: Magical run comes to end as Tigers lose Game 5 of ALDS in Cleveland
But overall, the season was a resounding success, which makes this offseason critical if the Tigers want to get back to the postseason in 2025.
Here are 22 takeaways from the briefing.
Offseason to-do list
Harris was asked about his off-season to-do list as the Tigers look to get back to the postseason.
“I think there are two main fronts that we need to work on this offseason,” Harris said. “The first is, regardless of what we do this winter, the majority of our growth has to come from within. There are too many young players on this roster that can and must improve this offseason. The gains that they access this offseason with the help of this coaching staff, when we add all those up when we get to Lakeland in February, they have to outweigh anything we do via an external addition, because there’s just too much opportunity on our roster.
“It’s the beauty of building with young players. It’s why we’ve been so adamant about building with young players -- because they continue to improve. We’ve got to help them improve. We can’t ignore the growth that needs to come from within.
“That’s not to say there won’t be any external additions. There will be external additions. I don’t know exactly what position they are going to come (at) yet, because it’s been 48 hours since we played. But I do have some thoughts on it.
“When I look at this team, I’m really proud of all the versatility we’ve built into the team, because it gives us a ton of opportunity this offseason to add in different places.
“Take a look at Matt Vierling. He can play on the dirt and on the grass. If we can find an addition on the grass that can help us, then he moves to the dirt. If we find an addition on the dirt that can help us, then he moves to the grass. It’s one of the reasons why we built the team this way.
“I think, positionally, we got a little left-handed toward the end of the year. I think we could use a right-handed bat to balance us out.
“And then pitching. We’re always going to be trying to add pitching. I really like the depth that we have right now -- both in the ‘pen and the rotation. But we’ve got to add more pitching this offseason.”
Javier Baez
It was inevitable that Harris would be asked about Javier Baez, who is under contract for three more seasons for a total of $73 million.
Baez finished the first half of his six-year deal in Detroit with a .221 average, 263 on-base percentage, and .347 slugging percentage. He’s hit just 32 homers in 360 games, while striking out 341 times.
This season, he hit .184 with six homers, 50 hits, 69 strikeouts, and a .516 OPS in 80 games. He was worth -1.1 WAR.
The underlying numbers are horrifying, and it doesn’t help Baez’s case that after he was shut down for the season, the Tigers went from four games below .500 to winning 24 of 32 to clinch a playoff spot.
Meanwhile, Trey Sweeney came up and was an upgrade at the position despite his own offensive struggles. He did finish just 2-for-22 in the postseason with 12 strikeouts, three walks, and no extra-base hits.
Baez is the elephant in the room heading into the offseason. Would the Tigers cut ties and eat the rest of that $73 million contract?
It doesn’t sound like that’s the plan.
“As far as Javy, there’s a role for him on this team,” Harris said. “I just talked about needing a right-handed bat to balance out our infield that is increasingly left-handed right now. Javy’s right-handed, and he has performed as well as any shortstop in the game at periods in his career.
“One of the things that we talked about a lot this summer was that he was struggling to rotate. He was feeling restricted. We think a lot of that has to do with his hips. So him undergoing the procedure and coming out of the procedure positively is a good sign for us.
“He’s got to get a lot better this offseason to demonstrate that he can make our infield better, but there’s no reason to suggest that he won’t have a role on this team if he comes out of the surgery feeling like he can rotate the way he used to when he was performing among the best players in the game, and he certainly fits the framework of our infield right now.”
Harris said Baez is expected to be ready to participate in spring training.
“He may be ready by Opening Day -- we’re just not sure yet,” Harris said. “We’ve got to see how he gets through all the checkpoints of his rehab. But there’s a reason he got the surgery as early as he did: to try to give him the best chance possible to be ready for Opening Day. We’ll have steady updates for you guys this offseason.
“But the general timeline will allow him to be a participant in spring training and have a fighting chance to be ready for Opening Day.”
Offseason trades and free agency
During his introductory press conference in September 2022, Harris said he had the support of ownership to spend money in free agency once the team reached a point where those types of additions could put it over the top.
Will he have the funds this offseason after the Tigers made the playoffs for the first time since 2014?
“Yes,” Harris said. “I totally understand the question. It’s totally fair, and I understand that dollars spent is the most convenient measure of activity in a given offseason. It’s not really how we think about it.
“We don’t chase payroll thresholds. We chase talent. If there’s a talented player we have conviction on that fits how we play and fits our clubhouse, and he costs money, we’re going to pursue him aggressively.
“If we find a talent we have conviction on that fits how we play and fits our clubhouse that costs prospects -- we’ve done a lot of work to restock our farm system. It should have the prospects to be able to make a trade like that.
“And if we find a situation where a player we have conviction on fits how we play and costs both money and prospects, we’re prepared to do that, too. We just have to anchor all our decisions by the talent and how much that player can help us, first and foremost. It’s what has guided us to this position that we are in, and we’re not going to lose sight of that.”
Ownership’s willingness to spend money
Harris was asked about the willingness of Tigers owner Chris Ilitch to spend money to improve the roster through free agency.
He expressed firm confidence that he would have the resources he needs, if that situation comes up.
“I need to make compelling cases for additions that can help this team improve,” Harris said. “When I do that, I know I’m going to have the support of Chris.
“I should also note: Chris and this entire organization’s commitment is not just to payroll. It’s to building a winning organization. We’ve invested tens of millions of dollars in the non-sexy items that are all key ingredients to winning organizations.
“We’ve spent tens of millions of dollars on the new clubhouse, on a new plane, on new features in Lakeland that you guys are going to see when you show up in February, on a new Dominican complex, on an expanded coaching staff and a very expensive manager, and technology.
“These are all what winning organizations do. We’re going to keep investing in the payroll and we’re going to keep investing in non-payroll items that make this place a destination and keep us in October for many years.
“It’s on me to make those compelling cases, and I know when I do, I’m going to have full support to do the things that we believe can make us a winning organization for a long time.”
Tarik Skubal extension
One highlight of the Tigers' season was watching Tarik Skubal develop into a bonafide ace. He’s the best pitcher in baseball and will win the AL Cy Young award.
Skubal, who turns 28 next month, has two more seasons of team control left before free agency. He finished 2024 with a 2.39 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 228 strikeouts to just 35 walks in 192 innings.
Skubal won the pitching triple crown in the AL, leading the league in wins (18), ERA, and strikeouts.
The conversation around a Skubal extension is complicated. His agent is Scott Boras, who notoriously prefers his clients to at least test the free agent waters. Skubal also had Tommy John surgery in college, so there’s some extra risk as he heads into his 30s.
Harris was asked about that situation, and whether the Tigers are interested in keeping Skubal in Detroit long-term. He didn’t want to discuss it.
“I’m not going to comment on individuals,” Harris said. “You guys saw what we did with Colt Keith. We started discussions privately, we came to an agreement, and we announced it, and we’re really excited about it to this day, and we think Colt’s a big part of our future.
“When I step back and I look at this team -- we’ve got a lot of young players that we are really high on. We’re really bullish about their futures. They’re already going to be together for a long time, by nature of their service time. If we can extend the window for a lot of them, we’re going to try to do that.
“Again, you have to see eye-to-eye on all that stuff. My hope is that we are just announcing these things, as we did for Colt. I don’t think it’s constructive for me to comment on any of the individuals, and I don’t think it’s fair to them, given the sensitivity of those talks.”
BACKGROUND: Tigers sign Colt Keith to contract extension with club options
Plans for starting rotation
The Tigers basically played the final two months of the season and the playoffs with Skubal as the only consistent presence in the starting rotation. They used openers and bulk relievers to get through the other games.
But that’s likely unsustainable for an entire 162 games. Harris was asked about his plans for the rotation going into next season.
“I think that strategy suited the pitching staff that we had, especially in the second half,” Harris said. “I do like how well the players embraced their role and performed, and how well (Hinch) executed in the dugout.”
Harris said it’s a nice luxury to have the bulk relief option available. But the strategy for 2025 will be catered specifically to that roster.
“We’re going to start to add to this team with a clear strategy in mind,” Harris said. “I don’t know that we’re going to do it as regularly as we did down the stretch, because I think we have some really interesting starting pitching prospects that are coming up, including Jackson (Jobe), that have a real chance to be a traditional starter for us.
“So I think that’s (to be determined). We’re going to talk a lot more about that in February in Lakeland, but it’s nice to know that those non-traditional strategies can work here and that our players understand the underlying logic behind those strategies and why they’re effective.”
Rule 5 eligible players
The Tigers have six minor-league players who become Rule 5 eligible this offseason: Justice Bigbie, Joseph Montalvo, Lael Lockhart, Tyler Mattison, R.J. Petit, and Chase Lee.
Tyler Owens, one of the players acquired at the 2024 trade deadline, is also Rule 5 eligible.
If these players aren‘t added to the Tigers’ 40-man roster before December, they could be selected by other teams. Harris was asked about that dilemma.
“Talk about a blessing and a curse,” Harris said. “You want to go into the deadline with a lot of tough decisions, because it means you have a lot of talented players. But it is really tough to decide who you need to protect and who you don’t.
“The short answer to your question is: ‘I don’t know yet.' But we’re going to spend a lot of time on it.”
Spencer Torkelson
The Tigers have another difficult decision to make about first baseman Spencer Torkelson.
While he finished the 2023 campaign with strong overall numbers -- 31 homers, 34 doubles, and a .758 OPS -- the majority of his first three MLB seasons have been downright disappointing.
He posted a .604 OPS and .203 average with just eight homers as a 22-year-old rookie in 2022, which is easily forgiven. Especially since he finished with an average exit velocity and hard hit rate that were well above average.
But then he also struggled in 2024, slashing just .219/.295/374 with 10 homers. And the underlying numbers matched the lack of production.
Torkelson was demoted midway through the season and didn’t tear up Triple-A pitching during his time in Toledo. He improved after coming back to Detroit, but only to the tune of a .248 average and .781 OPS.
Even his successful 2023 came with a .218 average and .657 OPS through the first 76 games.
Is Torkelson the answer for the Tigers at first base? They desperately need right-handed power, but can’t afford another full season of below-average production at a premium offensive position.
Here’s what Harris said:
“I think Tork is one of several players that need to have a big offseason this year,” Harris said. “It’s no secret that Tork had a turbulent year this year. There were times when I was watching him where it seemed like he was more focused on covering shapes than driving the baseball.
“Then, there were other times throughout the summer where it seemed like he was more focused on driving the baseball, and that created some holes and created a little bit more of a pitch-able hitter, throughout times.
“The best version of Tork does both. He covers all the shapes and he drives the baseball. We need to get that version out of him, but it’s an area that we need to improve overall production.
“We have confidence that Tork is every bit as talented and has as promising a future as he always has. We just have to find a way to get that complete hitter out of him. It’s one of the reasons why we’re going to have exit interviews with all of our players, and we’re going to challenge them on concrete goals this offseason.”
Casey Mize
The future looks equally uncertain for Casey Mize, who returned to the mound after missing pretty much two full seasons.
Mize wasn’t terrible. He posted a 4.49 ERA, a 1.47 WHIP, and 78 strikeouts to 29 walks in 102.1 innings. But the underlying numbers aren’t promising, other than a low walk rate and a high ground ball rate.
Mize, 27, simply isn’t missing bats. And he’s allowing hard contact. That’s a scary combination for the former No. 1 overall pick, who has two more seasons of team control remaining.
Harris was asked about the decision to leave Mize off the ALDS roster and what that means for his future.
“I think there were some positives from this year for Casey,” Harris said. “I think he’s pitching with a different fastball than he’s ever had before. That fastball can be explosive at the top rail. He can miss bats at the top rail with it.”
That’s partially true. Mize’s four-seamer averaged 95.5 mph this season -- a significant increase from 93.6 mph before his Tommy John surgery.
But the velocity didn’t translate to a more effective pitch. Mize’s fastball had a run value of zero and a 20.2% whiff rate. Batters hit .306 with a .428 slugging percentage against the pitch in 2024.
His slider and splitter also need a lot of work.
“I think some of the adjustments we are looking for and that he is actively working on are with his secondary pitches,” Harris said. “To find the slider that he can command to both sides of the plate. To find the split that can go strike-to-ball, that can really put a hitter away when he gets to two strikes.
“He still has all the God-given ability in the world. He is one of the more determined workers we have in our clubhouse. We’ve just got to find a way, now that he’s healthy and now that he is removed from the (Tommy John surgery) -- I hope he has a big offseason, that he shows up to Lakeland with as high a ceiling as anyone has in this organization, because he has that ability and he has that work ethic, and those are pretty compelling combinations.
“I think, just refining a little bit of both the shapes and the way he’s executing the shapes can unlock that potential and translate it into performance.”
Kenta Maeda
It made sense when the Tigers signed Kenta Maeda last offseason. They needed some stability in the starting rotation, and he was a reliable veteran.
Well, baseball is unpredictable. This marriage couldn’t have gone much worse. Maeda made 16 starts before getting moved to the bullpen, where he basically only pitched in mop-up duty.
At the time, he owned a 7.26 ERA. He finished 2024 with a 6.09 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings after posting a 3.86 ERA in 12 relief appearances.
Maeda, 36, is under contract for $12 million in 2025.
“I think we could have done a better job of preparing him for the season last year,” Harris said. “It was a difficult transition for him to go from a familiar organization to an unfamiliar organization. I think we saw when he showed up in Lakeland that his stuff wasn’t quite as crisp as it has been in his career.”
There was plenty of concern about Maeda amongst fans when he showed up to spring training throwing a fastball that topped out around 88 mph. But since Maeda has such a long track record, the hope was that he would get right by the time the season rolled around.
Obviously, that never happened.
“It took him some time to really build the arm strength and the finish on his pitches that ultimately made him successful for most of his career.
“I think we started to see that stuff in the second half, especially when we moved him to the bullpen. He’s still really talented. I think he can be a little bit better of a strike-thrower. I think his execution can improve, but it starts with the stuff.
“We’re going to talk to him about making some changes to his offseason and better supporting him so that the version of him that shows up in Lakeland is ready to be more similar to the version that has made him a very successful starter in this league before.
“There’s absolutely a place for him on this team, and he has demonstrated that he can help very successful big league teams.”
Prospects for big league camp
Hinch and Harris joked for a moment about the change in Hinch’s mindset when it comes to prospects.
Hinch singled out a few prospects he would like to see at big-league camp when spring training rolls around. He specifically named Max Clark, Kevin McGonigle, and Thayron Liranzo.
Clark, 19, is the team’s No. 2 prospect behind Jobe. He’s a left-handed hitting outfielder.
McGonigle is a 20-year-old middle infielder who also bats left-handed.
Liranzo was acquired at the deadline in the Jack Flaherty trade and became Detroit’s No. 6 prospect. He’s a 21-year-old switch-hitting catcher.
All three finished the season at High-A West Michigan.
“I’ve got a lot (on my) wishlist for big league camp,” Hinch said.
Coaching staff changes?
Hinch hopes there won’t be any changes to his coaching staff this offseason.
“Those conversations are going to happen over the course of this week,” Hinch said. “I’d love to have every one of them back. We do have a good thing going. This is as cohesive of a group as I’ve had since I’ve been here in Detroit.
“We’ve obviously got to get through some conversations with the group, and this is the time of year where other organizations try to poach your talent, but I would expect everybody back in full and build off the processes that we created this year.”
Parker Meadows
The most improved player on the Tigers' roster this season was Meadows, who got demoted to Triple-A on May 6 after his slash line fell to .096/.224/.219.
At the time, Meadows had 32 strikeouts and only seven hits in 85 plate appearances.
But upon his return, Meadows hit an even .300 with 23 extra-base hits, six stolen bases, and an .857 OPS in 50 games. He’s one of the fastest runners and best defenders in baseball, so unlocking his offense gives Meadows superstar potential.
Meadows had one hit in each of Detroit’s seven playoff games, as well as three walks and three stolen bases.
“With Parker, we always comment on his defense and how fun it is to watch him glide across the outfield from gap to gap,” Harris said. “It is amazing the effect he has on our pitching staff.”
Harris said Meadows is a huge weapon for the Tigers defensively, but he’s also making strides with the bat.
“The adjustments that he’s made, especially against velocity, in the second half, have really opened up his approach at the plate,” Harris said. “I think there are things that he can do, especially left-on-left, to help him stay in games and be more of a threat and help him get on base, because we know the type of threat he can be on base.”
Meadows got 236 plate appearances against righties this season and only 62 against lefties. His numbers were very similar overall. The major difference is that he hit for a higher average vs. lefties but drew more walks and hit for power vs. righties.
“He has barely completed a full season at this point,” Harris said. “I think, naturally, he’s going to become better as he becomes more experienced, and he’s also going to get bigger, stronger, and just become more of a threat on both sides of the ball.”
Hinch joked that Meadows can get better defensively by being more aggressive calling off Wenceel Perez in right-center.
Hinch then told a story about how Meadows was pulling off the ball and “trying to play hero” during his at-bats against Matthew Boyd in Game 2 of the ALDS. Then, against Boyd in Game 5, he stayed back and hit a double down the left-field line.
“Those are things that that experience is going to help,” Hinch said.
How quickly fans embraced team
Harris thanked Tigers fans for how quickly they rose to support this team in September and into the playoffs.
“I was really impressed by how quickly they responded to and embraced this team,” Harris said. “We built this team very differently than the Tigers playoff teams of the past. We played the game very differently than those teams did in the past.
“But we could feel every day when we showed up to the ballpark that they were locked in on everything. They really responded to the non-traditional pitching approaches, they responded to the different lineup constructions, they responded to the different in-game moves.
“We really felt that throughout the season, and it’s one of the many reasons why I was so excited we beat the Astros. We earned playoff games in this ballpark this year.”
Harris brought up that it’s been a long time since there were playoff games at Comerica Park.
“Seeing Comerica Park come alive and become a competitive advantage in October again was one of the most rewarding parts of this entire season,” Harris said.
He singled out the night the Tigers clinched the playoffs against the White Sox and Games 3 and 4 of the ALDS as electric Comerica Park atmospheres.
“They’ll be forever etched in our memory and will serve as the ultimate motivator for us moving forward,” Harris said. “That’s why you take these jobs.”
Gut punch from final loss
Harris described a very relatable internal struggle about the end of the 2024 season.
Even though he’s proud of what the team accomplished, Harris said he’s still reeling from Saturday’s loss in Game 5 of the ALDS, because the Tigers were so close to advancing.
“I’m still struggling to reconcile the gut punch that we felt on Saturday with what was a wildly successfully season for this whole organization,” Harris said.
He said the moments in Game 4 and 5 of the ALDS that didn‘t go the Tigers’ way and ultimately led to their elimination are going to be tough to swallow this winter.
“However, getting your heart ripped out on one of the biggest stages in our game is both a blessing and a curse,” Harris said. “It’s a curse for all the obvious reasons, but it’s a blessing because it means you’re playing for something. It means the last game of the season really matters. It means this is a winning group that had a credible chance to be the last team standing at the end of the year.
“That’s a change for this organization. It’s something that all our players, our coaches, and our staff members should be really proud of. I know I’m proud of it.”
Young talent in Detroit
Harris said the Tigers have placed a huge emphasis on acquiring, retaining, and developing young talent.
He pointed out that the Tigers advanced in the playoffs despite having the youngest roster in MLB.
The organization also produced seven top-100 prospects and finished 2024 with the best overall minor-league winning percentage.
“We saw so many debuts this year and we saw so many players get better,” Harris said. “It’s all because of that emphasis on developing young talent.”
Culture of development
The Tigers are also succeeding in their goal of building a culture of development, Harris said.
“Look no further than Parker Meadows' first half compared to his second half,” Harris said. “He got way better. There are young players transforming in this organization that are getting a lot better and are helping us win.”
Free agents coming here and improving
He said free agents are coming to Detroit because they know they’re going to improve, specifically pointing out Michael Lorenzen (2023), Jack Flaherty (2024), and Carson Kelly (2023 and 2024).
“They’re starting to rebrand this organization as a place where they can get better,” Harris said. “And now, this year, this team rebranded this organization as a place where you can get better and win at the same time.”
Dominating the strike zone
The one goal from Harris' introductory press conference that he doesn’t believe the organization has achieved yet is dominating the strike zone.
But there has been progress.
“We haven’t achieved that goal yet, but we made some huge strides,” Harris said.
He believes the emphasis on throwing strikes resulted in the Tigers having a top-five pitching staff in all of baseball.
Offensively, he wants to see more improvement.
“We had a few too many strikeouts at the end of the year with the young lineup, but these guys are doing a lot better job in the strike zone,” Harris said.
He believes the Tigers are putting together more quality at-bats and forcing pitchers into the strike zone.
AJ Hinch on range of emotions this season
Hinch spoke about the range of emotions he felt throughout this roller coaster of a season.
“From the optimism at the beginning of the season, to the grind through the early parts of the months -- getting off to a good start, and then we hit what we felt like was rock bottom, and boy did we bounce out of that quickly and effectively,” Hinch said.
‘A team to be proud of’
Hinch said his players and coaches did their best to make Detroit proud.
“We did our best to give this city a team to be proud of,” Hinch said. “I don’t ever want to say we exceeded expectations, because our expectations are always going to be greater than anybody else, but we did our best.”
He told his players that this season should be the floor, and they need to work hard through the offseason so playoff runs become the norm.
“We do need to be proud of where we are and what we’re doing while continuing to push us to bigger and better things,” Hinch said. “I’m very proud of the 2024 Tigers.”
Player improvement
Harris and Hinch said they believe the young players who sparked the late-season run for the Tigers still have room to get much better.
“These guys can get way better,” Harris said. “A bunch of these young players can get a lot better. They’re just starting to get comfortable at this level.”
He again used Meadows as an example.
“He got punched in the mouth early in the season, and he responded by becoming one of the better players in baseball and one of the main reasons why we played so well down the stretch,” Harris said.
He said the players who showed up in August, like Sweeney, Jobe, and Jace Jung, haven’t even played enough major-league baseball to have gotten to the “second half” of a season.
