The Tigers Should Target These Non-Tendered Players

The offseason doesn’t really start until the non-tender deadline has passed. The non-tender deadline is the day on which every team has to decide if they will offer contracts to any players who have not yet reached free agency.

While the list of non-tendered players usually is not littered with superstars, proven big leaguers and legit contributors become available each winter.

The Tigers have not made a major move this winter, at least not yet. With one of the lowest payrolls combined with a promising young core, Detroit is in a position to add and build back towards another playoff berth.

While I will not list every single player who was non-tendered, you can find that list here. Detroit non-tendered pitcher Wilmer Flores, infielder Eddys Leonard, and pitchers Brendan White and Ricky Vanasco. I’d expect some combination of those names back in the organization on minor-league deals.

The players I have chosen to discuss all fit a Tigers need or type. More likely than not, only one or two of these players will land in Detroit, but we’ll make sure to cover plenty of them.

Jordan Romano – RP – (Former Team: Toronto Blue Jays)

2024 Stats: 13.2 IP, 6.59 ERA, 6.17 FIP,13 K

Jordan Romano had a rough 2024 campaign before injury shut him down. However, the three seasons prior were excellent: Three seasons of 20 or more saves, two of 36 saves, and all three with an ERA under 3.00. A 6’5″ frame with crazy extension paired with a 96 mph fastball and a slider with plus movement was enough to make him effective.

Romano’s slider averaged a 36% whiff rate over those three years, while his fastball came in around 29%. The Tigers need another high-leverage arm, especially one with swing-and-miss stuff. Romano could immediately fill, or compete for, the closer role from day one.

While injuries always bring about concern, Romano has a strong enough track record that he will have competition for his services. With a pitcher-friendly park, a second-to-none coaching staff, and an obvious need for a closer, the Tigers make a lot of sense for Romano.

Kyle Finnegan – RP – (Former Team: Washington Nationals)

2024 Stats: 63.2 IP, 3.68 ERA, 4.35 FIP, 60 K

Kyle Finnegan fits here for more than just the fact he was born in Detroit. He’s quietly been a very consistent reliever for the past five seasons.

His 97 mph fastball surprisingly does not lead to a high number of strikeouts and does result in some hard contact. So, many will point toward his peripherals as a reason to stay away.

Yet, at some point, we might just have to ask if he is an exception to the rule. Multiple years of production have shown those poor peripherals might need to be thrown out the window. Finnegan relies heavily on groundballs, something we have seen the Tigers lean into.

Finnegan served as the Nationals’ closer the past two seasons (28 SV in 2023, 38 SV in ’24) and performed well. While I do not think he should be considered in the same manner as Romano, adding an arm with experience closing out games is never a bad idea. I’d see Finnegan in a similar role to Shelby Miller last season.

Austin Hays – OF – (Former Team: Philadelphia Phillies)

2024 Stats: .255/.303/.396, 5 HR, 98 wRC+

I think Austin Hays is a better player than what meets the eye. Ideally, he’s a bench bat/platoon player which is a type the Tigers have targeted in the past.

In his career, Hays has a .277/.331/.469 slash against lefties and don’t forget, the wall in Baltimore is not friendly to pully-heavy righties like Hays.

Detroit is loaded with lefty outfielders, which makes Hays a fit to platoon or pinch hit and be used in situations where A.J. Hinch can get the most out of him.

If injuries happen and he does become an everyday player, Hays can hold his own against righties. He put up 105 or higher wRC+ as a full-time starter his last three years in Baltimore. Sometimes, adequate is underrated.

While I like Wenceel Perez and Justyn-Henry Malloy, Detroit needs to bring in competition and someone who has a longer track record in the majors. The injury history of the current outfield is not great, and Hays would be a solid option if injury problems strike again.

Jon Berti – Utility – (Former Team: New York Yankees)

2024 Stats: 25 G, .273/.342/.318, 95 wRC+

Jon Berti is a bit of an old school player: contact first, little power, lots of speed, and can play all over. He’s now 34 years old, and coming off injury, but should come relatively cheap and offer enough to make the major league team. Berti can play outfield, second, third, first, and shortstop, all at an average to above-average level.

The idea here is getting another option who can play short, but more importantly, just getting another plus defender in the door. I’m not even sold on Berti making the Opening Day roster, but like I said before, it’s time to bring in veterans to push for the last roster spots instead of rotating young guys through the bottom of the roster.

Patrick Sandoval – SP – (Former Team: Los Angeles Angels)

2024 Stats: 79.2 IP, 5.08 ERA, 3.87 FIP, 81 K

Patrick Sandoval is currently on the shelf after Tommy John surgery. He might not even pitch in 2025, which makes his case unique. You could bring him in on a two-year deal, similar to what Texas did with the injured Tyler Mahle.

Sandoval’s bread and butter is his changeup, a pitch he uses, as a lefty, to attack right-handed batters. His changeup produced a 39% whiff rate in 2024 and 43% in 2023 while limiting hard contact.

The 28-year-old also has a sinker he has thrown about 15% of the time the past few seasons, a pitch we know the Tigers value. I am not sure why, but the movement profile on his sinker has been trending in the wrong direction, and I wonder if the staff sees something they can tweak.

At the end of the day, Sandoval brings 536 innings of 4.01 ERA and 3.87 FIP pitching from the left side. No matter who you are, adding a solid lefty is almost always in the plans.

If Detroit cannot land one of the higher-profile starters, Sandoval is an interesting project who’s young enough to earn a role in the future, especially with uncertainty around Skubal’s contract.

Possible Tigers Minor League Signings

Royber Salinas – SP – (Former Team: Atlanta Braves)

Royber Salinas is a guy you cannot miss. He’s a big guy on the mound and comes with a sinker in the upper 90s along with a curveball and changeup.

While he gets a lot of swing and miss, he can also lose the strike zone. He’s been a name I have followed since the A’s acquired him in the Sean Murphy deal (before the Braves got him back earlier this offseason) and he is someone who’s always impressed me.

Salinas is probably a relief option down the road, but the arm talent is more than enough to bring him in and see if the coaching and development staff can unlock something. I’d say he is more of a project than a player you can count on in 2025, but you need some of those guys as well.

Brandon Hughes – RP – (Former Team: Arizona Diamondbacks)

From Royal Oak and a product of Michigan State, this prediction is all local ties. Brandon Hughes, a lefty with 89 major league innings under his belt, would be a fine minor league depth piece.

The Tigers always seem to target fringe 40-man lefties, and that’s what Hughes is. He’s put up solid minor league numbers and could help Toledo’s bullpen.

Ethan Small – RP – (Former Team: San Francisco Giants)

Ethan Small was a first-round pick of the Brewers back in 2019. The lefty couldn’t cut it as a starter and was eventually moved to the bullpen.

Injury has slowed him down, but his fastball movement helps it play up from its lower velocity and his changeup is enough to limit damage against righties. This would be a roll of the dice on a lefty former first-rounder with some funk to him.