With the Tigers coming off their most successful season in a decade, their roster-building approach will remain the same.
President of baseball operations Scott Harris said Monday as he wrapped up a season that saw the Tigers make the playoffs for the first time in 10 years and come within a game of advancing to the ALCS that "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," Harris said, for the Tigers to prioritize outside acquisitions.
"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," he said. "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."
Harris faces a dilemma this offseason. He said he would increase payroll once the Tigers had a core worth spending around, which they do. But the core is also still taking shape. Players like Spencer Torkelson, Trey Sweeney and Jace Jung need time to prove whether they're a part of it or not. Harris mentioned Torkelson as "one of several players that needs to have a big offseason this year." That would, in theory, rule out any major moves at first base, shortstop and third base.
"That's not to say there won't be external additions," Harris said. "There will be external additions. I don't know exactly at what position they are going to come yet, because it's been 48 hours since we played, but I do have some thoughts on it."
In general, Harris said the Tigers will be seeking "a right-handed bat to balance out" a lineup that was lefty-heavy by the end of the season. "And then pitching," he said. "We're always going to be trying to add pitching." That includes the rotation and the bullpen.
The Tigers' payroll this year ranked 26th in the majors, per Spotrac, at $98 million -- about $70 million below the MLB average. Only the Marlins, Rays, Pirates and A's spent less. Harris said back in May, when the Tigers looked headed for another losing season, that the organization would spend more aggressively once "we build the foundation of this team to put us in position to supplement it with some free agent signings in the upcoming winters."
He reiterated Monday that owner Chris Ilitch will provide the resources the team needs this offseason, before adding, "We don't chase payroll thresholds. We chase talent."
"If there's a talented player we have conviction on that fits the way we play and fits our clubhouse, and he costs money, we're going to pursue him aggressively," Harris said. "If we find a talent that costs prospects, we've done a lot of work to restock our farm system and should have the prospects to be able to make a trade like that."
Harris added that the Tigers value the "clubhouse culture" they established this season and won't make any additions that threaten to disrupt it.
"It's going to be something that I ask A.J. (Hinch) and the staff over and over again when we contemplate additions this offseason, because it's one of the most important things that is driving the success that we've had," he said.
The Tigers were the best team in baseball down the stretch, driven by homegrown stars like Tarik Skubal, Riley Greene and Parker Meadows. As they enter 2025 with heightened expectations, Harris said that they "have to stay focused on the things that got us here and on the approach that we took that helped us create that team."
"But I don't think there's anyone in this building that doesn't think on an individual level and a team level that this team can't get a lot better," he said.