The Detroit Tigers are starting to think about 2026-27 MLB free agency, with two important pitching decisions on the horizon for president of baseball operations Scott Harris and staff.
Six Tigers will become free agents ahead of the 2027 season, including second baseman Gleyber Torres and right-handed pitcher Jack Flaherty. Those two players will almost certainly test the market, but there are two others who could come back to Detroit, should the club decide it wants them.
Right-handers Kenley Jansen and Drew Anderson both have club options heading into 2027, at $12 million for Jansen and $10 million for Anderson.
But will the Tigers fork up eight-figure salaries for the two right-handers? Here's the outlook.
RHP Kenley Jansen ($12 million option)
Jansen's quest to become the third
pitcher with at least 500 career saves came up just short in 2026, though the closer did mark his 14th season with at least 20 saves (all consecutive, excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 season). And while Jansen will be 39 in 2027, he showed this season that he still has plenty of innings left to pitch.
But he was also, by some metrics, one of the least valuable relievers in a not-so-impressive Tigers bullpen this season. And with the Tigers wanting to get younger and more athletic in all facets of the game, spending $12 million on Jansen seems highly unlikely, even if it means paying a $2 million buyout for him to reach the 500-save mark somewhere else. Prediction: Tigers decline option, leaves in free agency.
RHP Drew Anderson ($10 million option)
Anderson's case is a lot more interesting.
Spending $10 million on a player who probably won't factor into the Opening Day rotation would normally seem like an unwise move, especially when that could make him the second-highest paid pitcher on the roster (behind left-hander Framber Valdez's $47.5 million salary) if the Tigers don't make a big free-agent splash. Then again, Anderson offers a bit more than just starter depth, as he showed in 2026.
In his first season back from an extended run in Asia, the righty logged well over 100 innings in 2026 – more than 50 as a starter and more than 50 as a reliever. That kind of swingman potential is incredibly valuable for a Tigers team that will likely call on four relatively inexperienced right-handed starters – Troy Melton, Reese Olson, Jackson Jobe and River Ryan – with recent injury histories, plus fellow righty Keider Montero. That's especially valuable with Anderson getting better as the year went on, putting up his three longest outings of the season in September.
For his part, Anderson said after his final start in 2026 that he would "love to" return to Detroit. And while the Tigers will probably make this decision based on future projections rather than past performance, $10 million might end up a bargain for someone as versatile as Anderson. Prediction: Tigers pick up option.
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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Predicting if Tigers pick up Kenley Jansen and Drew Anderson options
