The Detroit Tigers began their rebuild about the same time as the Royals, and after a 77-win 2021 season, it looked like they were on a faster trajectory. But despite some big free agent signings, the Tigers slumped back to the bottom of the standings with the Royals last year. Like the Royals, they now find themselves with a new executive in charge, counting on improvement from a lot of young players, with not much expected help from a thin farm system.
The Tigers took a much different direction this off-season under new GM Scott Harris. They traded away top relievers Joe Jiménez and Gregory Soto for prospects and the most notable free agents they added were pitchers Matthew Boyd and Michael Lorenzen.