Scott Harris said this week that the Tigers aren't done upgrading their roster after the addition of reliever Tommy Kahnle. So, Valenti has three potential free agent signings for Detroit and wants to know: "If the Tigers added one of them, would you come out of this saying, 'I’m good with the offseason?'"
Detroit could still use another right-handed bat and another proven arm in the rotation. With that in mind, here are Valenti's three options -- one for five years, one for four and one for three -- with estimates on what each player would cost.
3B Alex Bregman: 5 years, $150 million
Valenti: "You get your third baseman, borderline Gold Glove-caliber defender, World Series champion, team leader, right-handed bat. The downside, he’s 30, and you will be signing him into his mid-30’s. The other downside, an inexplicable reduction in walk rate. It went down by 50 percent last year. That has to be noted. But is Alex Bregman a good ballplayer, familiarity to Hinch, and would he make you better? Yes, yes and yes."
SP Jack Flaherty: 4 years, $90 million
Valenti: "Familiar name, comes with some injury concern, but high-level starter and clearly worked with Chris Fetter really, really well."
1B Pete Alonso: 3 years, $65 million
Valenti: "Wild card. Hasn’t been mentioned, hasn’t been connected, his market’s been nowhere and it seems like there’s a real rift between him and his current team (the Mets). And he is a right-handed bat. He is capable — not saying he would do it — but capable of hitting 50 home runs. Probably 40, and a mortal certainty for 30.
"But he comes with some warts. You need a first baseman, because don’t sell me this Spencer Torkelson stuff. However, you could play Colt Keith at first. Not nearly as big of a need, but it would provide a potentially thunderous bat in this lineup, which you need."