As the World Series comes to a close, the baseball offseason will soon kick off. With it will come answers to many questions fans are waiting on. Most notably, will baseball even happen next season, with a potential lockout looming large?
Beyond the looming labor uncertainty, questions remain about where free agents will land, with Tarik Skubal headlining the class. But before you close this article thinking it is just another clickbait piece about bringing Skubal back, keep reading.
This is not an article about how the Tigers need to do everything possible to bring back the best pitcher in baseball. Instead, this is a look at how Detroit's starting rotation stands right now. If the Tigers rely on the talent they already have in-house, what would the rotation look like next season?
Before any free-agent signings, trades or potential lockouts, let's look at the five starters Detroit could turn to if no moves are made.
Troy Melton
Melton pitched phenomenally last season, leading the Tigers' starters with a 2.76 ERA while allowing just 35 earned runs through 114.1 innings pitched.
Melton finished with 94 strikeouts and 37 walks. Although he may not be the Opening Day starter, I believe he will take over as the ace next season, similar to how Skubal emerged at the end of 2023 before putting together a Cy Young Award-winning campaign in 2024.
I'm not sure Melton is destined to become a Cy Young winner, but I do believe he will be viewed as the Tigers' best pitcher when it is all said and done.
Framber Valdez
Last offseason's big free-agent signing did not amaze Tigers fans as much as they had hoped. Although Valdez pitched well and ate up innings as he was brought in to do, a couple of poor outings seemed to stick with fans more than some of his best starts.
Overall, Valdez led the team with 31 starts and 135 strikeouts. Unfortunately, his team-high 67 walks and 78 earned runs were causes for concern.
Valdez will most likely be the Opening Day starter, and expectations will be sky-high as he enters his second season in Detroit.
Jackson Jobe
Jobe finished the season 3-3 with a 3.91 ERA through nine starts. After undergoing Tommy John surgery last year, Jobe returned late this season and experienced some ups and downs.
He finished with 51 strikeouts, tied with Kenley Jansen for 10th on the team despite pitching in just nine games. His fastball, mixed with an electric curveball, makes Jobe must-see TV, and with more experience, he should only get better.
Keider Montero
Montero may have been the Tigers' MVP last season. He should have shown enough to earn a spot in the rotation every five days.
Montero finished second on the team with 25 starts and even endured a month out of the rotation despite looking like the team's best pitcher at the time. He then moved to the bullpen, where he excelled just as much.
Not only did Montero earn 10 wins this season, but he also recorded a save. He pitched 155 innings, second-most on the team, while striking out 107 batters, the fourth-highest total on the roster.
Reese Olson, River Ryan or Drew Anderson
The final spot in the rotation will most likely be Olson's to lose, given how well he has pitched when healthy. Unfortunately, staying healthy has been a hurdle for Olson, and availability is one of the most important abilities in baseball.
Olson missed the entire 2026 season, but his swing-and-miss stuff should give him a chance to earn the fifth spot.
If Olson cannot get the job done, look for prospect River Ryan. Ryan came over from the Dodgers in the Skubal trade and immediately became the Tigers' third-best prospect. He pitched in two games for Detroit to close the season, going 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA across 4.1 innings. He struck out six batters while allowing two earned runs.
If neither option works out, Anderson proved himself capable down the stretch as both a starter and a potential bullpen arm. Anderson finished with the second-most strikeouts among Tigers pitchers, excluding Skubal, with 114 through 108 innings. He appeared in 49 games and made 11 starts.
The Tigers Have Options in Their Rotation
The Tigers have a bright future when it comes to starting pitching, but additional help may be on the way. Pressure makes diamonds, and adding another starter to this mix would only bring out the best in the talented group competing for a spot in the rotation coming out of spring training.
Detroit has several intriguing options already in-house. Whether the team adds another arm or trusts its current group, the starting rotation will be one of the biggest storylines to follow throughout the offseason.