Upon his hire, Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said he would "make a lot of moves" this winter to improve the roster, including some "calculated risks." He just wasn't sure what those moves would be.
Now he's got an idea.
Harris met with reporters Tuesday at the GM meetings in Las Vegas and identified three clear positional needs for the Tigers this offseason: a left-handed-hitting infielder, a right-handed-hitting corner outfielder and a catcher.
And, of course, the Tigers "could use more pitching," Harris said. "We're always going to need more pitching."
The Tigers are reportedly eyeing catcher Willson Contreras in free agency, the three-time All-Star who overlapped with Harris during their time with the Cubs. Asked about this possibility on MLB Network Tuesday night, Harris declined comment other than to say, "We're going to look at every opportunity to get better this winter, and catcher is certainly a position we're going to take a hard look at."
In the outfield, the Tigers are committed next season to Riley Greene and Austin Meadows, both of whom are left-handed hitters. Hence the need for a right-handed hitter, ideally one who can hit in the middle of the lineup. Free agent Mitch Haniger -- 39 HR, 100 RBI in 2021 -- could be a name to watch.
[shortcode-inline-related expand="1" link="/971theticket/sports/detroit-tigers/detroit-tigers-fans-making-fast-impression-on-scott-harris" headline="Tigers fans making fast impression on Scott Harris: "Drives us to be better"" image="/media-library/image.jpg?id=63583017"]In the infield, they're committed to Javy Baez, Jonathan Schoop and Spencer Torkelson, all of whom are right-handed hitters. (Harris confirmed the Tigers plan for Baez to be the Opening Day shortstop next season after speculation the club could move him to second.) Hence the need for a left-handed hitter, presumably a third baseman to replace Jeimer Candelario.
Harris said the Tigers still consider Torkelson their first baseman of the future despite his disappointing rookie season, but acknowledged they could be in the market for a short-term upgrade at first this winter.
"At that position and every other position, we're going to look for ways to get better," Harris said.
Harris' moves won't be limited to free agency. There are upgrades to be found on the trade market for a team that's willing to be bold. Asked if he's open to trading prospects to add missing pieces, Harris said, "Absolutely. I don't think we can rule out any way to get better."
The Tigers are ready to be aggressive, just as Harris promised.
"Going into this winter, we're not going to be risk averse," he said at his introductory press conference. "We can't be risk averse. Taking calculated risks as part of a broader strategy of roster building will pay off in the end."
