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The Detroit Tigers added to their bullpen by signing Tommy Kahnle to a one-year contract on Wednesday. President of Baseball Operations Scott Harris made the veteran reliever his third signing of the offseason. Kahnle joins former New York Yankees teammate Gleyber Torres and Alex Cobb as the team's moves in MLB Free Agency.
It's been a rather quiet offseason for the Tigers. Detroit has been mentioned as an Alex Bregman landing spot. However, the star third baseman has not agreed to a contract yet. Harris did not address any of the Bregman speculation when he met with the media on Wednesday. However, he did mention that the Tigers are continuing to look for upgrades. “We're not done,” he said, via MLive reporter Evan Woodbery.
“We're going to try to find new ways to make this team better. There are a number of ways we can do it — free agency, trade, waiver claims. But we're going to find ways to get to get better. I think the bullpen and our lineup are two areas that we are going to look to upgrade if we can,” Harris continued on Wednesday.
Scott Harris likes where the Tigers are at
Scott Harris and the Tigers are not done after signing Tommy Kahnle on Wednesday. However, this does not mean the Detroit executive is looking to make a move for the sake of it. It has to be the right addition at the right position and for the right price.
Detroit has been characteristically cautious with its approach to free agency this winter. Even after making it to the American League Division Series for the first time since 2014. The opportunity to spend big is certainly there, but the team has kept the checkbook close to the vest.
All this said, the Tigers are running out of quality options on the free agency market. At least, as it pertains to any upgrades in the lineup. Detroit is unlikely to sign first baseman Pete Alonso after shifting Colt Keith to first base. The Tigers are in on Bregman, but after Ha-seong Kim signed with the Tampa Bay Rays, there is a massive dropoff between Bregman and other free-agent third basemen.
Still, the patient approach proved fruitful for Detroit in 2024. They were the best team in baseball during the second half of the regular season. And they nearly stormed their way into the American League Championship Series. As a result, perhaps it's hard to fault Harris for liking what his team has to offer at this time.
“We also like our depth on both sides of the ball. We feel like we have a number of options in the lineup, and certainly a number of options in the rotation and now the bullpen too,” Harris told reporters Wednesday, via Woodbery.