If you’re a Detroit Tigers fan who’s been waiting for a real signal that the front office is ready to push, Kenley Jansen’s short-term deal qualifies. You don’t add a reliever with that kind of résumé on a one-year-plus-option contract unless you plan on playing meaningful baseball in 2026. And yeah, it’s hard not to connect the dots to Tarik Skubal.
Because there are two versions of the Tigers’ near future. Version A is the “sell high” path: trade your Cy Young-winning ace for a king’s ransom, say all the right things about “sustained contention,” and hope the next wave arrives before the fan base fully loses it.