The Detroit Tigers’ bullpen was an absolute trainwreck in high leverage situations last season, and now president of baseball operations Scott Harris is telling everyone he’s zeroed in on the fix: more swing and miss. Speaking at the GM Meetings in Las Vegas, Harris made it clear that pitching, specifically high leverage relief that can get outs on both sides of the plate, is the priority this winter.
The Problem Is Crystal Clear
You don’t need to be a scout to know what Harris is talking about. Despite pretty solid overall numbers, the Tigers’ bullpen was a complete disaster when it mattered most in 2026. This isn’t just a slight issue, it was a season-defining flaw. Harris spelled out his vision, stating, “Pitching is going to be the focus for us this winter….We want to add more swing and miss to the back end of our pen. We want to add a stable veteran presence who can get righties out and lefties out and add a little bit more leadership to our clubhouse.” It sounds great on paper, but Tigers fans have heard this song before. The GM Meetings, usually just a chatter-fest, felt a bit different with looming CBA negotiations and a lockout set for December 1. Teams are trying to position themselves, but for Detroit, it’s all about whether Harris can actually turn these words into action.
Two Roads To Recovery, Or Just More Talk?
Harris has basically laid out two ways the Tigers might try to clean up their bullpen mess. One idea he’s floated in the past is building such a huge surplus of starting pitching that some good arms will just “spill over” into relief roles. This would allow them to use current starters who aren’t quite built for a full major league workload to flex into the bullpen. The problem? Harris has been super vague about when this “surplus” might actually appear, and it feels like a long-term play. Sure, there’s a good crop of young pitchers brewing in A-ball, but almost none of them are ready to be converted and promoted to the big leagues next season. The other, more immediate, path is to target free agent relievers or try to trade for them. Realistically, it might take a mix of both strategies to solve this ongoing nightmare.
History Hasn’t Been Kind To Harris’s Promises
Here’s where the skepticism comes in for anyone watching the Tigers. Harris has been running the show for four seasons, and the consistent critique has been his execution when it comes to developing and upgrading the major league roster. He *did* try to add more swing and miss last year, bringing in Kenley Jansen and signing Drew Anderson. While that duo struck out a solid number of hitters, they absolutely failed in the big moments. Anderson even seemed more steady as a starter. And let’s not forget Kyle Finnegan, who was supposed to be a big factor after signing a two-year guaranteed deal, but his first year was even worse than Jansen and Anderson’s work. So, while Harris is listing off all the right criteria for what the Tigers need, the core issue remains: can he actually deliver?
The offseason is still young, and with the CBA negotiations hanging over everything, moves might come fast once the dust settles. What’s at stake is whether Harris can finally move beyond just talking a good game and actually fix a bullpen that has consistently cost the Tigers. Fans are desperate for a stable veteran presence and arms that can get that crucial swing and miss in high leverage spots. Now, we wait to see if Harris’s actions will finally match his words this winter.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bless You Boys.
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