Detroit Needs to Consider These Top 5 Free Agents Raising at Comerica Park

The Detroit Tigers had an unforgettable season.

After being sellers at the MLB trade deadline, the team was one win away from contending for the American League pennant in the Championship Series.

Now, the team is left with the others eliminated from playoff contention and awaits the winner of the 2024 World Series. Once the Fall Classic is over, the focus will be on finding a way to return to the playoffs and even further in 2025.

The first step will be to improve the team’s squad. The Tigers will look to get through this winter as they emerge from the rebuilding stages of their organization. However, not all free agents are created equal.

Of the 76 pending unrestricted free agents this offseason, only a few have found sustained success competing at Comerica Park, the Tigers’ home field.

Here are the top players looking for a new team this winter who have performed at their best in Detroit, regardless of position or team need.

Highest OPS: Donovan Solano

The 36-year-old has played in just five games at Comerica Park, racking up 17 plate appearances, but has the best numbers of all pending free agents. His 1.222 OPS is number one after he went 5-for-13 at the plate with a home run, a double and two RBI.

The corner infielder hit .286/.343/.718 in 96 games with the San Diego Padres in 2024. He also hit eight home runs with 35 RBI.

If Solano plans to play in 2025, he will be in his 37th season. However, the Tigers need help at third base next season. The 11-year MLB veteran could be a solid player off the bench if Detroit’s front office decides to go that route, especially since he even splits against right- and left-handed pitching.

Best batting average: Paul Goldschmidt

First baseman Paul Goldschmidt is another veteran who has done well at Comerica Park. In his limited time playing in Detroit, he recorded a .393 batting average in seven MLB games.

It wasn’t the best year for Goldschmidt, as he struggled mightily at the plate for the St. Louis Cardinals. At one point in the season, he dropped to seventh in the batting order. It was the first time since the 2012 season that he hit so low in a lineup in a game. He finished 2024 with a .716 OPS and hit 22 home runs with 65 RBI.

The Tigers have Spencer Torkelson at first base, and after the postseason, he may have found himself again in 2025. However, if Detroit wanted some insurance, adding someone with a veteran presence and caliber like Goldschmidt would be a great place to start. The 2021 National League MVP may not have had the best offensive season in 2024, but his glove is still one of the best in MLB.

Most home runs: JD Martinez

It makes sense that this category would belong to a former Tigers player. Martinez spent four great seasons with the team before being traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2017. During that time, he hit 99 home runs in a Tigers uniform, 60 of which came with Comerica.

After a solid run in the NLCS for Martinez and the New York Mets, the 37-year-old will be back on the market this winter. Could a reunion for a former fan favorite be just what the Tigers’ young core is looking for to help them take the next leap?

Best of the rest: Gleyber Torres

One of the most exciting free agents this winter is midfielder Gleyber Torres. The 27-year-old made the most of his 15 games in the Motor City, which could make him a potential option for a team already loaded with depth on the pitch. In his 61 plate appearances, he hit .283/.377/.623 for a 1.000 OPS with five home runs and eight extra-base hits.

During the 2024 season, his seventh year in the big leagues with the New York Yankees, Torres hit a .709 OPS with just 15 home runs and 63 RBI, all lows from the previous season. However, his play really took off in the postseason. At the end of Game 3 of the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians, he has an .844 OPS. According to MLB Network, he has a .319 batting average since being moved to the starting role in mid-August.

The Tigers have plenty of players who can play middle of the infield, including Trey Sweeney, who they just acquired at the MLB trade deadline. For Torres’ signing to happen, some other moves would have to happen first.

Best of the rest: Whit Merrifield

With the exception of Martinez, who actually played for the Tigers, Merrifield may have the best numbers without ever wearing a uniform. The best part is that he also did it with an impressive sample size. In 56 games, the three-time All-Star hit .333/.374/.579 with 32 extra-base hits, including 10 homers.

Merrifield has been on two NL East teams in 2024, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves. Between the two clubs, he hit .222/.311/.314 in 95 games. He was most useful in replacing the injured Ozzie Albies at the end of the season for Atlanta.

The former Kansas City Royals utility man will be 36 years old when spring training rolls around. Like Solano, the nine-year MLB veteran could be a solid player off the bench and serve as the club’s leader for the young core looking to make a bigger run at the postseason next year.