As one of the oldest teams in MLB, the Detroit Tigers have seen thousands of players come and go, ranging from the utterly forgettable to Hall of Fame-level brilliance. This year’s free agent market features a number of former Tigers, each with varying prospects. Some players may find themselves leaving the majors for good due to declining performance, while others are likely to be signed for respectable sums in the coming months.
The Tigers have had a commendable offseason, adding players to bolster a young core that the front office is confident in. They aim to make a push for the top of the relatively open AL Central division, hoping to improve on their best standings finish since 2016. With most of their offseason moves completed, it’s unlikely that any of the former Tigers currently on the free agent market will rejoin the team. However, there is curiosity about the future of these former Tigers, both prominent and lesser-known.
**Five former Detroit Tigers who are still MLB free agents as spring training approaches:**
1. **Spencer Turnbull**
Spencer Turnbull’s time with the Tigers ended tumultuously. After three inconsistent seasons from 2018 to 2020, he seemed to hit his stride in 2021, delivering the best year of his career. He threw a no-hitter against the Mariners, becoming the eighth Tiger to achieve this and the first since Justin Verlander in 2011, and maintained a 2.88 ERA over 50 innings. This performance gave the Tigers hope for the homegrown pitcher, but his progress was derailed by injury in June 2021.
Despite his promising start, Turnbull made only nine starts before undergoing Tommy John surgery, which sidelined him for all of 2022. He returned in early 2023 but struggled (31 innings with a 7.26 ERA) and was demoted to Triple-A, where he got injured again. After recovering, he refused the assignment back to Toledo, becoming a free agent at the season’s end. Despite the strange and tense negotiations that led to the Tigers agreeing to count 2023 as a full major league service year, Turnbull has not attracted significant interest from other teams. His perceived difficulty to work with may have hindered his prospects, but opportunities might arise as the pitching market thins out.
