Free agency has yet to begin, but are the Tigers winning the MLB offseason?
After naming A.J. Hinch manager last week, the team hired a highly-regarded pitching coach Friday in Chris Fetter, according to Jon Morosi. Fetter was previously the pitching coach at Michigan where he helped the Wolverines reach the 2019 College World Series. He's considered a 'rising star in the industry.'
A former All-American pitcher at Michigan, the 34-year-old Fetter will take over a pitching staff in Detroit loaded with young talent. Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal arrived last season, with Matt Manning and others on the way.
According to Morosi, Fetter was the top choice for pitching coach in the White Sox front office, making his hire a 'significant win' for the Tigers.
It appears Hinch played an important role in bringing Fetter to Detroit. The two worked together in the past with the Padres. Had the White Sox not hired Tony La Russa as manager, there's a good chance Hinch and Fetter would have wound up in Chicago.
Instead they'll lead the Tigers into the future.
