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Another unsuccessful bid for a World Series title in 2014 has again prompted an offseason of introspection for the Detroit Tigers. Tweaking their talented—albeit flawed—teams has kept them highly active on the hot stove in recent years. This winter has been no different.

Here’s a reminder of what’s happened so far:

• In: Yoenis Cespedes (OF), Shane Greene (SP), Alfredo Simon (SP), Alex Wilson (RP), Anthony Gose (OF), Josh Zeid (RP)
• Out: Torii Hunter (OF), Rick Porcello (SP), Eugenio Suarez (SS), Jim Johnson (RP), Jonathon Crawford (SP), Devon Travis (2B)
• Unsigned: Max Scherzer (SP), Phil Coke (RP)

What do these changes mean for Detroit?

With Porcello and probably Scherzer headed for new pastures, it appears that the team ethos of building around the game’s most dominant starting rotation has ended. The Tigers will now have to make do with Greene and Simon behind a strong top three of David Price, Anibal Sanchez and Justin Verlander.

The addition of Gose consolidates the theme of increased athleticism that began with the acquisitions of Ian Kinsler and Rajai Davis last year. The team has also cranked up defense with the capture of Cespedes.

If the Tigers are to get their hands on the Holy Grail, then they will need to make everything click. Fulfillment of these three New Year’s resolutions may help make this happen.

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Coming off a strong 2014 MLB season, Minnesota Twins starter Phil Hughes reportedly agreed to a contract extension with the club on Monday.    

MLBRosterMoves provided the latest on the agreement between the two sides:

Hughes, 28, emerged last season as a true ace despite another down season for the franchise. Finishing 16-10 with a 3.52 ERA and a career-high 186 strikeouts, Hughes completely turned things around from his horrid 2013 campaign with the New York Yankees.

Prior to the confirmation of the deal, Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News reported an agreement was in place.

Craig Calcaterra of NBC Sports offered his take on the deal for Hughes:

Last season, Hughes had a chance to cash in on a $500,000 bonus if he recorded one more out. However, he decided to look toward helping in the future with the franchise, as he told ESPN.com.

“I just didn’t think it was right,” Hughes said. “I owe too much to this organization for the next two years to risk getting hurt for an incentive. For whatever reason it wasn’t meant to be. There’s a lot bigger problems out there. I’m proud of my season.”

In the end, Hughes still comes out with a big payday thanks to last year’s performance.

Under team control until 2019, the Twins now have the pieces to make the AL Central one of the most competitive in the MLB. Already acquiring Torii Hunter and getting a healthy Joe Mauer back, 2015 should be an intriguing season in Minnesota.

In an increasingly competitive division, the Twins still have a tough road ahead. Bringing back Hughes gives Minnesota a true ace, but it is still in a tough division to make a playoff run.

Follow @RCorySmith on Twitter.

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The Cleveland pitching staff got a boost on Tuesday as the team signed right-handed starting pitcher Gavin Floyd.     

The team announced the move on Twitter:

Jordan Bastian of MLB.com has more details on the contract:

Floyd, who suffered an elbow fracture last year while pitching for the Atlanta Braves, went 2-2 with a 2.65 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 45 strikeouts in 54.1 innings over nine starts. It was the second season he had cut short after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2013.

The team clearly isn’t worried about any lingering elbow issues, however.

Cleveland’s starting staff managed just 78 quality starts last season, tied for 11th in the American League, but it has a solid core in place that Floyd will reinforce. The club tweeted the expected rotation after the signing:

Floyd should slide nicely into the rotation and will complement team ace Corey Kluber, along with the duo of Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer, each of whom came into his own last season.

Add in one of the more underrated bullpens in the American League, and Cleveland’s pitching staff is looking pretty good heading into the 2015 MLB season with Floyd’s addition.

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After being acquired by the Oakland Athletics last July, Jeff Samardzija is once again on the move. Oakland has reportedly dealt the right-hander to the Chicago White Sox. The Athletics announced the move on Tuesday:

Samardzija talked about making his return to Chicago, according to the White Sox’s official Twitter feed:

The Samardzija acquisition comes on the heels of the White Sox signing free-agent closer David Robertson, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle was the first to report a potential deal involving Samardzija, though the particulars weren’t known at the time:

The A’s acquired Samardzija from the Chicago Cubs in the hopes he would push them over the hump in October. However, the team—specifically, the offense—fell apart in the second half due to natural regression and some injuries, preventing the right-hander from getting a playoff start.

Oakland general manager Billy Beane discussed the importance of the acquisitions of Samardzija and Jason Hammel, the latter also part of the Chicago deal, after the Kansas City Royals defeated Oakland in the Wild Card Game, via ESPN.com:

When we traded for Samardzija and Hammel, I think one of the first questions was, ‘Why would you trade for two pitchers, you’re first in the league in ERA?’ We weren’t going to stay there. We knew it. Our job is to try and correct things before they become a problem, and some of the problems that we had we could see coming.

Despite Oakland falling short of its ultimate goal, Samardzija was terrific after the trade. He made 16 starts and posted a 3.14 ERA with 99 strikeouts, 92 hits allowed, 12 walks and a 0.931 WHIP in 111.2 innings. 

The 29-year-old is entering his final year of arbitration after making $5.3 million last season. According to MLBTradeRumors.com arbitration projections, Samardzija figures to be looking at a salary in the $9.5 million range next year before hitting free agency in the winter.

Since transitioning to a starting role in 2012, Samardzija has evolved into one of the best pitchers in baseball. He’s averaged at least 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings over the last three years and has made 94 starts during that span.

Even with one year of control left, Samardzija has true impact potential at the top of the White Sox’s rotation and will cost less in salary than any of the notable free agents available this winter. He can be a Game 1 playoff starter for most teams in the league, which is virtually impossible to find at his salary in 2015.

The White Sox had a rough season in 2014, due in large part to their rotation. Samardzija immediately pairs with ace Chris Sale to give them a formidable 1-2 punch at the front of the rotation, which will give them more stability than they had last season. Along with the newly signed Robertson, it’s clear Chicago wants to win now and isn’t afraid to acquire the talent required to get the job done.

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SAN DIEGO — You looked at the foundation pieces of the Chicago White Sox. You watched as ace Chris Sale finished third in American League Cy Young voting. You watched as Jose Abreu was chosen as the unanimous Rookie of the Year and finished fourth in AL MVP voting.

This is a team, you thought, that is not far away.

As Monday night bled into Tuesday morning, it became apparent the White Sox are thinking the exact same thing.

Chicago’s South Siders struck two stunning deals, agreeing to acquire starter Jeff Samardzija from Oakland and luring free-agent closer David Robertson for an eye-popping four years and $46 million. The deals, both confirmed by Bleacher Report sources, are expected to be announced sometime Tuesday at the earliest.

No wonder closed-mouthed White Sox club officials were walking the halls of the Grand Hyatt with grins flowing like the Chicago River.

The Sox confirmed the Samardzija deal Tuesday: Samardzija and right-hander Michael Ynoa to Chicago for right-hander Chris Bassitt, catcher Josh Phegley, first baseman Rangel Ravelo and infielder Marcus Semien. The Robertson signing will be announced later this week upon the completion of medicals.

“Jeff has been a target of ours for some time now,” Hahn said here Tuesday morning. “We’re absolutely thrilled.

“We think it puts us in position to be very competitive in 2015.”

Coupled with the signing of first baseman/designated hitter Adam LaRoche for two years and $25 million last month, the Sox have now improved their lineup, their rotation and their bullpen in short order.

Suddenly, in an increasingly intriguing AL Central, there is every reason to believe the White Sox can—and will—contend in 2015.

In Sale and Samardzija, they’ve got a one-two punch atop their rotation that can stand up to anybody in the league (add lefty Jose Quintana, and that’s a killer top three). Sale—the praying mantis-thin lefty with deception and stuff as filthy, on his good days, as Randy Johnson’s—still doesn’t get the credit he deserves, except from the most important critics: rival hitters.

“We feel good about our rotation,” Hahn said. “One through three, we can stack up with anybody. Jon Danks, there’s a comfort level there. And Hector Noesi made some real nice strides.”

In Robertson, whose strikeouts-per-nine-innings was a ridiculous 13.4 last summer, they’ve got a knockout bullpen weapon. And don’t kid yourself: Strikeouts play huge in U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago’s launching pad of a home ballpark.

The Sox were crippled by their bullpen in 2014, which, according to FanGraphs, was the third-worst in the AL with a 4.38 ERA and was tagged for an MLB-high 32 losses.

Now you look at their bullpen, with Robertson handling the ninth innings, lefty Zach Duke (another acquisition this winter), and hard-throwing youngsters Jake Petricka and Zach Putnam, and you no longer see losses. You see possibilities.

Samardzija’s heavy sinker should fit perfectly into U.S. Cellular Field as well. As Hahn said, to pitch in that ballpark, “you have to have that kind of movement.”

“Listen, our dreams are to get back to the World Series and win the World Series,” White Sox Executive Vice President Kenny Williams said Monday, as the Sox were working feverishly toward the deals that rocked the winter meetings later that night. “We’ve accomplished some things very quickly here in the last few years to put back together what we think is a strong nucleus. And with a few pieces here or there, we’ll be back in the mix.”

Williams drew a large crowd during his visit to the press room Monday morning because of rampant rumors that the Toronto Blue Jays are interested in him as they search for a replacement for Paul Beeston, the Jays’ longtime president and chief executive officer.

Right now, it looks like Williams is staying put in Chicago.

And the White Sox will be something to see.

The reconstruction moved into high gear under Hahn last year when he traded for center fielder Adam Eaton after acquiring right fielder Avisail Garcia from the Detroit Tigers in a three-way deal at the July trade deadline in 2013.

Eaton’s athleticism gives the White Sox versatility and a different dimension from what had become a slow, plodding club a couple of years ago. Garcia has crazy power but missed most of 2014 with a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Abreu’s power is even more thunderous (36 homers, 107 RBI as a rookie), and LaRoche has hit 79 homers and 73 doubles over the past three seasons. LaRoche’s lefty bat also adds badly needed balance to the lineup.

This is a team that lost 89 games last summer thanks in no small part to a bullpen that blew 21 save opportunities, tied for third-highest in the AL. In New York, Robertson converted 39 of 44 saves while taking over for the retired Mariano Rivera.

In Robertson, the White Sox theoretically have purchased a lockdown closer for the next four seasons.

In Samardzija, the Sox have added a short-term co-ace who is eligible for free agency following the 2015 season. The Sox hope to change that soon by signing him long-term.

“We acquired Jeff for one year and for the exclusive rights to talk to him for the next 10, 11 months,” said Hahn, who described Samardzija as thrilled during their telephone conversation after the deal.

Said Hahn: “Jeff did share this morning that this is a dream come true for him. He very much enjoys Chicago, and I think wearing our uniform resonates with him.” Samardzija, who grew up in nearby Valparaiso, Ind., played football at Notre Dame and spent the first six-and-a-half years of his career on Chicago’s North Side with the Cubs, has to be impressed with the Sox’s seize-the-moment mentality this winter.

Clearly, these are the moves of a team that not only is going all-in in ’15 but also expects to keep that window of opportunity open for the foreseeable future in a division that has gotten more fascinating by the day this winter.

The Cleveland Indians were another beneficiary of Oakland’s strip-down Monday, beefing up their lineup with the acquisition of slugging first baseman Brandon Moss. The Tigers, entering the sunset years with their current core (minus, almost assuredly, Max Scherzer), re-signed designated hitter Victor Martinez earlier this winter. And the AL champion Royals are about to lose ace James Shields to free agency and likely outfielder Nori Aoki.

Yes, the White Sox are in the right place making the right moves at the right time. It’s easy to love the things they’re doing and the aggressive attitude that is fueling them.

“We’re not trying to send any messages in December,” Hahn said. “It’s more about what we do during the summer months and in the fall.

“But we do believe that you’re not going to get a break when you come through Chicago.”

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If it wasn’t clear after the additions of Zach Duke and Adam LaRoche, it’s definitely clear after the latest addition:

The Chicago White Sox are going for it in 2015.

While most of the buzz on the rumor mill Monday night had the White Sox nearing a trade with the Oakland A’s for Jeff Samardzija, they ended up completing a different deal first. As reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the White Sox have a new closer in the person of David Robertson:

According to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, the now-former New York Yankees closer’s contract with the White Sox is worth $46 million.

So though many scoffed at his desire to match Jonathan Papelbon’s four-year, $50 million contract—a record for a mere relief pitcher—Robertson only fell $4 million short. Not bad for a guy with ties to draft-pick compensation in a market that only gave Andrew Miller $36 million over four years.

Of course, the White Sox aren’t losing a first-round pick, as their No. 8 pick in the 2015 draft is protected. And while there are quips to be made about the White Sox paying a “proven closer” premium for Robertson, the truth is this is hardly the worst overpay in baseball history.

Why? Let’s just say I’m with Chuck Garfien of CSN Chicago on this one:

He’s not wrong, you know.

According to FanGraphs, Chicago’s bullpen was the third-worst in the American League in 2014 with a 4.38 ERA. And of the team’s 89 losses, its bullpen accounted for an MLB-high 32 of them. 

Without question, Robertson can help.

The 29-year-old right-hander wasn’t the most flawless closer last year, as he saved 39 games in 44 chances with a modest 3.08 ERA. But even those numbers resemble an upgrade for a White Sox club that basically didn’t have a closer in 2014.

And it bears mentioning that the basic numbers might not do Robertson justice. By FanGraphs WAR, he tied for the 13th-highest WAR among relievers last year. Furthermore, here’s Dave Cameron of FanGraphs with a note on how Robertson will fit into the White Sox’s bullpen from a WAR perspective in 2015:

The White Sox bullpen was a huge problem. Overall, our forecast had the entire group being worth +0.3 WAR, the second worst collection of relievers in baseball. David Robertson immediately changes that calculation, given that he’s forecast for +1.8 WAR in 65 innings pitched. Adding Robertson to the White Sox group pushes them from something like worst in the league to middle of the pack. He’s that good.

Going from the lowest of the low to the middle of the pack is quite the leap, and I’ll wager the White Sox bullpen might take an even bigger jump in 2015.

Consider the other big addition to Chicago’s bullpen: Zach Duke. FanGraphs‘ projections only have the left-hander down for 0.7 WAR in 2015, which is 0.6 less WAR than he posted on his way to a 2.45 ERA in 2014. I’m of the mind that’s actually a repeatable performance. With a sinker that gets ground balls, a curveball that misses bats and an ability to get right-handed batters out, Duke is the real deal.

Mind you, Chicago’s bullpen outside of Duke and Robertson is shaky. But the White Sox can rest easy knowing they should at least have a shutdown duo working the eighth and ninth innings. That’s something that can go a long way in the regular season and even more so in the postseason.

Which brings us to the big question: Now that their bullpen has gotten a major patch job, are the White Sox ready to contend in 2015?

I hesitate to say yes, as right now the White Sox still have a fair number of holes surrounding their new-look bullpen.

They have a serious need for starting pitching depth. And though LaRoche is a solid complement for Jose Abreu in the middle of Chicago’s lineup, that FanGraphs has the White Sox projected in the lower third of MLB for position player WAR in 2015 isn’t misleading. They’re lacking in upside at several positions.

But then again, who says the White Sox are done?

After closing the deal with Robertson on Monday night, all signs point toward the White Sox closing a deal for Samardzija next. After initially reporting that the A’s and White Sox were on the verge of a trade, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com later reported that, while not yet official, a deal is “agreed to.”

Assuming that trade does eventually go through, the White Sox will be adding Samardzija to a starting rotation that already has Chris Sale and Jose Quintana. Slot Samardzija in between the two of them, and you’re looking at a rotation trio with three of the top 15 starters in MLB in 2014 by WAR.

So all told, it’s easy to be enthusiastic about the offseason the White Sox are having. In adding LaRoche, they’ve given Abreu some much-needed support in the lineup. In adding Robertson and Duke, they’ve upgraded their bullpen from one of the league’s worst to potentially one of the league’s best. If Samardzija is indeed coming aboard next, that bullpen will be a part of a lethal overall pitching staff.

That sounds like enough to make the White Sox contenders in an AL Central that’s looking wide open at the moment. The winter market could make sure it stays that way, as the Detroit Tigers stand to lose Max Scherzer, and the Kansas City Royals stand to lose James Shields.

There are issues elsewhere in the American League, too. The Oakland A’s appear to be rebuilding. The Baltimore Orioles have lost two of their best players to free agency. The Boston Red Sox have lots of hitters but still need lots of pitching. The New York Yankees are a mediocre product with a big payroll.

As such, it’s hard to say the White Sox have misread the situation. The American League is practically begging them to go for it, and the White Sox are obliging.

“Whether it’s a big name or an expensive piece in the rotation, the bullpen or a position player standpoint, I think it would send that type of message,” general manager Rick Hahn recently said of sending a win-now message, via Scott Merkin of MLB.com. “We’re very cognizant of the fact that it’s nice to make headlines in December.”

The White Sox are making headlines, all right. And with each new headline, they’re only becoming more dangerous.

Note: Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted/linked.  

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Last offseason, the Detroit Tigers traded away Doug Fister. This time around, Rick Porcello could be the one to go.

According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, Porcello is drawing trade interest from around the league.

After all, we have heard that Porcello has been linked to the Marlins—per Jon Morosi of Fox Sports—while Jayson Stark of ESPN.com points out that Boston would be a fit.  

So, why deal a pitcher in Porcello who just won 15 games and posted a 3.43 ERA in what was widely regarded as a breakout season?

Answer: for salary purposes.

Even before re-signing Victor Martinez, Detroit had a lot—and I mean a lot—of salary tied up going forward.

MLBTradeRumors.com has a fantastic chart that shows future salary obligations. Even before Martinez’s new contract, Detroit had more long-term money tied up than the Yankees. Yes, the same Yankees that seemingly don’t understand the word “overpay.”

Silly, absurd, exorbitant (maybe even necessary)—any of these terms would be acceptable in describing the salary situation.  

But back to Porcello. The only way Detroit will deal him is to save cash.

The former first-round pick will hit free agency after the coming season, and should he continue to pitch like he did in 2014, he could command upward of $100 million on his next contract. Throw in an arbitration raise this season, and you’re talking about a supersized wad of cash.

Should the Tigers’ general manager Dave Dombrowski decide to trade Porcello before his price tag becomes too expensive, he’ll need to receive the maximum in return.

Dombrowski has played this game before—in 2009 he dealt Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson to New York and Arizona, respectively, to avoid giving either a massive payday.

Granderson and Jackson would later be paid in full, but Dombrowski was able to turn the pair into Max Scherzer, Austin Jackson and Phil Coke.

Dombrowski attempted the same feat last offseason by dealing Doug Fister to the Washington Nationals for Robbie Ray, Ian Krol and Steve Lombardozzi.

The team saved some cash on Fister, but it is left with only Krol after Ray and Lombardozzi were dealt in separate trades. Ray brought back starter Shane Greene, while Lombardozzi was traded for the since-departed Alex Gonzalez.

Ideally, trading Porcello would bring Detroit a return similar to the one received for Granderson and Jackson, but Dombrowski must be cautious and not repeat the Fister fiasco.

Fister has developed into one of the top 20 pitchers in the league, while the Tigers were left with scratch-off lottery tickets.

If Porcello continues on that trajectory (which is perfectly plausible given his performances last season), Dombrowski would need to receive the best possible return. Detroit is in win-now mode and can’t afford another setback similar to Fister.  

In would-be trade talks, Porcello should be marketed as a potential ace, or at the very least a high-end No. 2. The better the perceived value, the better the return. After all, Dombrowski did acquire a Cy Young winner for Edwin Jackson.

Detroit’s general manager should look to emulate his counterpart in Boston. At the 2014 trade deadline, Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington flipped John Lackey and a minor leaguer to the Cardinals for Allen Craig and Joe Kelly.

There are two things of note with the Lackey trade. The first is that Craig and Kelly were established big leaguers with successful track records. Craig made the All-Star team in 2013, while Kelly was an integral part of a deep St. Louis rotation. The second is that Lackey was 35 at the time of the trade.

Sure, Craig and Kelly were in the midst of down years, but Boston acquired a middle-of-the-order bat and a potential No. 2 or 3 starter for a 35-year-old.

Yes, you read that correctly: a 35-year-old.

Did I mention Craig can play right field as well as first base?

You may be thinking to yourself, why do I care how old Lackey is? Well, his age matters because he’s considerably older than Porcello.

Not only is the former Angel a decade older than Porcello, but the argument can be made that Porcello is the better pitcher at this point in time.

It poses this question: If a 35-year-old and declining John Lackey can net two players who were part of St. Louis’ nucleus and are now part of Boston’s, how much can Rick Porcello bring in return?

Miami Marlins

With Miami reportedly interested and Boston a trade fit, the Tigers brass should be asking this terribly long (and unlikely to be similarly worded) question.

Both teams certainly have enviable assets that would tempt Detroit.

Miami is in win-now mode. The Fish gave Giancarlo Stanton enough money to fix a small country’s economy and shipped two prospects to Kansas City for former All-Star reliever Aaron Crow. Ergo, they may be willing to part with some of their talented youngsters if it means winning sooner and avoiding the wait game.

One appealing trade target for Detroit would be center fielder Marcell Ozuna.

Ozuna swatted 23 home runs in 2014 and drove in 85 runs—both exceptional numbers for a center fielder. The Marlins would be without a center field, but given their seemingly aggressive nature on the market, they could find a replacement elsewhere.

Detroit could use Ozuna in a three-man rotation with Anthony Gose and Rajai Davis to cover center and right field. The Marlins center fielder mashed right-handed hitters last season with a .275 batting average. In addition, 45 of his 54 extra-base hits came against righties.

Given Crow’s acquisition and Detroit’s chronic bullpen woes, one of Miami’s many excellent relievers could be part of the return. However, a starting pitcher would be the likely target. Nathan Eovaldi or Jarred Cosart could thrive with the Tigers.

Both are young, relatively affordable for the foreseeable future and happen to possess power fastballs—something that’s more often than not part of the job requirement in Detroit.

Anibal Sanchez flourished in Detroit after coming over from Miami in 2012. Maybe one of these two is the next Marlin to flourish in Motown.

Acquiring Ozuna and Eovaldi/Cosart certainly would be a worthy trade for Detroit, helping the squad win now and later. Losing two of those players would be tough for Miami, but the other side of the coin is that the Fish would be able to pair Porcello with Jose Fernandez and form one of the top one-two combinations in the league.

Boston Red Sox

While Miami has assets across the board, so to speak, Boston’s best trade chips all play the same position—the outfield.

One of the Internet’s finest writers published a wonderful slideshow looking at which Red Sox outfielder is the best trade fit for the Tigers. (It’s not me…really, I swear it’s not my writing…OK fine, it’s me.)

While Yoenis Cespedes has been widely tabbed as a player who’ll be traded this offseason, he wouldn’t be the best fit in Detroit.

Cespedes is essentially a two-trick pony. He has a cannon of an arm and can hit a baseball 500 feet. Other than those two strengths, his game is lacking. Cannon arm or not, he isn’t spectacular defensively. In addition, his on-base percentage during the last two years is below .300 (.298), which is concerning at best.

Instead of Cespedes, Detroit would be better off with Rusney Castillo or Mookie Betts. Both possess better all-around games than Cespedes and are considerably younger—Castillo is 27 and Betts is 22.

Corner outfielder, righty-masher and platoon expert extraordinaire Daniel Nava wouldn’t be a bad throw-in, either.

In addition to a bevy of talented young hitters, Miami has the young pitchers to match with hurlers like Cosart and Eovaldi. Boston is a different story. The Red Sox’s young and talented starting pitchers (Anthony Ranaudo and Allen Webster) have a combined 25 major league starts.

At 26, Kelly (whom you’ll remember from a certain John Lackey trade) may be the best option for the Tigers in any Porcello trade. Kelly played a key role in St. Louis, posting a sparkling 3.08 ERA in 61 appearances and 231 innings.  

In Conclusion

It’s no surprise that Porcello is a coveted player on the trade market. The former first-round pick finally seems to be cashing in on his potential.

Porcello is cashing in on his potential metaphorically, but he could literally cash in on it when he hits free agency next offseason. This likely occurrence will be expensive for Porcello’s employers. Very expensive.

Detroit could cut bait on Porcello, similar to how it offloaded Fister. If this happens, the team’s brass must ask for everything in return, so to speak.

Porcello is a legitimate front-line starter and must be valued as such. “Fister Fiasco 2.0” can’t happen, not for a Tigers team in win-now mode. Miami and Boston are two destinations. While both have exciting players, Miami may be the better option thanks to the Fish’s superior pitching.

The bottom line is that if Porcello is dealt, Dombrowski and the Tigers can’t accept anything less than a king’s ransom.

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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The Detroit Tigers are natural trade partners with the Boston Red Sox.

Detroit has a need in the outfield, and Boston has enough quality players at that position to fill starting outfields for three teams.

Boston has beefed up its batting order thanks to the acquisitions of Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval, but its starting pitchers could use some help. Clay Buchholz is the best of the bunch, but he posted an ugly stat line that included 11 losses and a 5.34 ERA.

The rumored target for Boston is Rick Porcello, according to Frank Pimentel of MLB Hot Corner.

There are pros and cons in dealing Porcello. He may grow too rich for Detroit’s blood, and the team could move on from him.

The downside in dealing him is that he could prove that his breakout season in 2014 was no fluke. If the Tigers don’t get a suitable replacement, they could find themselves in the same situation they found themselves in with Doug Fister last season.

Whether Porcello is dealt to the Red Sox, the Tigers still make ideal trading partners with Boston.

Through free agency and trades, Boston has stockpiled an abundance of outfielders. They include Ramirez, Yoenis Cespedes, Rusney Castillo, Brock Holt, Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr,, Shane Victorino, Allen Craig and Daniel Nava.

Ramirez, Castillo, Holt and Victorino can be crossed off as potential fits. Ramirez and Castillo were only recently signed, while Holt is better suited to a utility role.

Victorino would be an ideal fit, but he is in the final year of a three-year, $39 million deal. He’d be a fit with Detroit if Boston ate money in a trade.

That leaves Cespedes, Betts, Bradley Jr., Craig and Nava.

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

Begin Slideshow

The Detroit Tigers have all but relegated themselves to playing next season without last season’s ace, Max Scherzer. 

In fact, they pretty much did so in March when Scherzer turned down a six-year, $144 million extension offer. Once that happened, general manager Dave Dombrowski was pretty much free to start allocating the extra savings elsewhere.

Now here the Tigers are, eight months later. Scherzer’s free-agent market has not developed a month into the offseason, which was expected, and the Tigers have all but discounted him as an option for next season.

“Back then only we could have signed him,” Dombrowski said at the GM meetings earlier this month via Joel Sherman of the New York Post. “Now, 29 other teams could sign him. As you see, the odds don’t improve.”

Dombrowski must now figure out how to dole out the money the Tigers will save assuming they lose Scherzer along with right fielder Torii Hunter. Just based on last season’s salaries, that is a savings of nearly $30 million for 2015 between those players, and the Tigers have needs.

They can do without re-signing Scherzer or someone comparable like Jon Lester, which is why they are not in the rumor mix for either guy. David Price, Justin Verlander, Anibal Sanchez and Rick Porcello make up the rotation for next season. Whoever the Tigers stick in the fifth spot will round out a formidable fivesome that is still good enough to compete for the American League Central title.

This is of course assuming the Tigers have no desire to trade Price or Porcello, who each have one year remaining before they can become free agents and possibly walk away from the Tigers as Scherzer is expected to do. Knowing the Tigers are in danger of losing those guys for nothing but a compensation draft pick, the Miami Marlins and Boston Red Sox have poked around about acquiring one or both of those pitchers. Even Sanchez has been a topic of conversation.

Trading from that pile would leave the Tigers searching for pitching, but as of now they don’t have a pressing need there. Most of the team’s immediate uncertainty is in the bullpen. That unit was among the worst in the majors—27th in ERA (4.29)—and closer Joe Nathan was second in the league with seven blown saves.

Regardless of last season’s ugliness, Dombrowski has said he is comfortable with his reliever situation. Part of the reason is because the Tigers picked up Joakim Soria’s $7 million option after trading for him during last season, and they expect to have Bruce Rondon ready for spring training after he missed last season because of Tommy John surgery.

Even still, the bullpen can’t be called reliable until it performs as such, and with the money the team is saving on Scherzer, adding a quality, dominant free-agent reliever like Andrew Miller seems like the easy play. Miller, who was drafted by the Tigers in the first round in 2006, had a 2.02 ERA and 0.802 WHIP in 62.1 relief innings last season between the Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles. The Tigers even witnessed his dominance firsthand in October when Miller pitched 3.1 scoreless innings against them in the American League Division Series.

However, the Tigers seem to have zero interest in Miller. While the bullpen needs more help than just one arm, if Dombrowski truly is comfortable with his current guys, adding someone like Miller should make him ecstatic. This is a guy capable of pitching in any inning, including the ninth, and averaged 14.9 strikeouts per nine innings while pitching better than his ERA (1.51 FIP).

Those numbers could push Miller’s average annual value beyond $10 million. But even with that money, the Tigers have their infield, catcher and one of their outfield positions locked in, so splurging in the bullpen seems reasonable.

“I think he’s the perfect fit for the Tigers,” Sports Illustrated baseball writer Tom Verducci said on MLB Network on Monday.

Alas, the Tigers are likely to pass on Miller. If they find themselves in another bullpen mess come next July, they could be greatly regretting that decision.

Seeing reports that #Tigers are out on Andrew Miller. Can’t wait until they decide to trade prospects for him in July.

— Dan Hasty (@DanHasty34) November 25, 2014

The Tigers have this money, but how they will spend it seems to be a mystery. What is known is they are in a win-now mode and watching their window to contend for a World Series close as they rely on aging stars. So hoarding the money won’t do them any good, especially since they already chucked $68 million at Victor Martinez this offseason.

The Kansas City Royals are now a legitimate threat to the top of the division, and if the Tigers can’t find a way to effectively allocate the money they are saving on Scherzer, the Tigers could lose that crown for the first time in five years.

Anthony Witrado covers Major League Baseball for Bleacher Report. He spent the previous three seasons as the national baseball columnist at Sporting News, and four years before that as the Brewers beat writer for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Follow Anthony on Twitter @awitrado and talk baseball here.

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In the past, the Detroit Tigers have been ceaselessly ridiculed and lambasted for having awful defense and relief pitching. Despite this, the Tigers are quietly putting together a strong defensive unit.

Most of the criticism was based on the fact that Detroit played Miguel Cabrera at third and Prince Fielder at first. Now, even with Fielder gone and Cabrera at first (where he actually plays decent defense), criticism still pours in.

This criticism was ever-present at last season’s trade deadline when the team traded possibly its best defender, center fielder Austin Jackson, to acquire David Price. The Tigers didn’t have a team of Gold Glove winners, but Jackson was looked at as the best of the bunch. His presence was missed as Detroit fans were made privy to the center field adventures of Rajai Davis and Ezequiel Carrera.

That may sound like a children’s program, but it was a serious issue.

Davis is a corner outfielder by trade and thus had to adjust to playing center in Comerica Park, which can be treacherous to navigate for some center fielders. Carrera had the same—if not more—trouble defensively.

General manager Dave Dombrowski recently addressed the issue by adding talented and fleet-of-foot defensive center fielder Anthony Gose.

In addition to the center field fiasco, the team also had defensive issues at third base, right field and shortstop.

Statically, third baseman Nick Castellanos was (in layman’s terms) bad. Despite that, this happens to be an easy fix. As a 22-year-old rookie, the third baseman has time to develop.

He works closely with infield coach Omar Vizquel, one of the better fielders of all time. Last season was Castellanos’ first under Vizquel’s tutelage. He may never be considered the best defensive third baseman in the league, but give Castellanos more time with Vizquel and he’ll develop into a solid defensive presence.

Outside of third base, right field was a defensive problem area. J.D. Martinez put in a positive display during his limited time in right field. Despite Martinez being a bright spot, Torii Hunter didn’t play like a former Gold Glove winner. The former Twin struggled in the first half, then improved down the stretch. Dombrowski has said, per George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press, that Hunter won’t return to the Tigers. Hunter will be missed, but this gives Detroit the opportunity to greatly improve its outfield defense.

Playing J.D. Martinez in right field allows the team to play Davis in left field (his natural position). With Martinez’s breakout season validating his claim to the lion’s share of at-bats in right, the team can find a strong defensive outfielder to platoon with Davis in left. Players like Ichiro Suzuki and Nori Aoki would fit the bill.

Having an outfield foursome of Gose, Aoki, Davis and Martinez would give the Tigers two above-average defenders and two who are (at the very least) passable defensive options. This would provide a significant upgrade over last season’s outfield quartet of Davis, Martinez, Hunter and Carrera, who were, at best, two passable options defensively and two below-average defenders.

The last defensive problem area for Detroit was shortstop.

While Tigers shortstops combined for the most putouts in Major League Baseball, the group ranked sixth in errors. Among the players suiting up at shortstop in 2014 were Andrew Romine, Eugenio Suarez, Danny Worth, Alex Gonzalez and Hernan Perez. That grouping finished below the league average in nearly every defensive stat, with the exception of those pertaining to double plays (Detroit shortstops ranked fourth in the league in double plays turned).

Luckily for the Tigers, Jose Iglesias will be back in 2015 after missing last season due to injury.

Acquired in a three-team trade in 2013, per Chris Iott of MLive, Iglesias is the definition of a defensive wizard and should win multiple Gold Gloves in his future.

Detroit has all the makings of a solid, if not above-average, defense in 2015. The outfield should be vastly improved (thanks to Anthony Gose’s acquisition alone). Gose, along with the returning Jose Iglesias and an improving Nick Castellanos, should improve a defense that already features another solid defender (Miguel Cabrera) and two above-average defenders (Ian Kinsler and Alex Avila). The end product is a defense that will be much improved in 2015.

If the Tigers can fix the defense to a point where it’s above average (which it should be), then Detroit could finally lift the World Series trophy it should have already claimed.

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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