DETROIT — The Detroit Tigers may need to move quickly if they want to upgrade their bullpen.

Several of the top relievers on the market have signed in recent days. Ryan Helsley finalized a two-year, $28 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles. Devin Williams agreed to a three-year, $45 million contract with the New York Mets, and Emilio Pagán rejoined the Reds on a two-year, $20 million pact.

Some middle relievers will linger on the market until spring training, which is how the Tigers picked up Andrew Chafin and John Brebbia in recent years. But this winter’s early activity suggests that the higher-end targets may not remain available for long.

The Tigers need both quality and quantity. Right-hander Will Vest and lefties Tyler Holton and Brant Hurter are the only pitchers certain to be in the bullpen. Beyond that group, the Tigers hope to add one or two strikeout artists to supplement Vest at the back of the pen.

“The bullpen is going to be a priority in part just given the volume of free agents we lost,” Tigers general manager Jeff Greenberg said last month. “We talked about it at the deadline, we talked about it right after the season. The ability to add swing-and-miss is obviously important. So I don’t necessarily know that that pegs us to any specific role. I think it is more about finding the attributes, the performance that we think fit. But that could come in a bunch of different shapes and forms.”

To identify relievers who might provide that back-end boost, let’s look at the 2026 Steamer projections for strikeout percentage minus walk percentage. This isolates two skills that most reliably predict a reliever’s effectiveness, since missing bats and avoiding free passes filter out much of the noise that affects ERA.

The big fish

Edwin Díaz (24.9%) is by far the best reliever on the market and will have to be paid accordingly.

The Mets added Williams, which does not necessarily close the door to a reunion with Díaz, but it does complicate the picture.

The Tigers have not been linked to Díaz, but there is no reason they would not be interested. Yes, it would probably take four years and $60 million just to open the conversation, and he could ultimately sign for closer to $100 million, which is a steep price for a reliever. But the Tigers have money to spend and, if they do not enter the Alex Bregman sweepstakes, few places to spend it. If there was ever a moment to splurge on a reliever, this would be it.

Projections for Robert Suarez (18.2%) vary, but three years and $30 million is probably a reasonable floor. Suarez will be 35 on Opening Day and has an unorthodox career path after beginning his professional career in Japan, where he grew into an elite reliever over six seasons.

He has been very good for the Padres, although his strikeout numbers are not as strong as one might expect for a pitcher who has racked up 76 saves over the last two seasons. The Tigers will not want to pay a closer premium, and it is not even clear that Suarez would be a better closing option than Vest.

Solid options

Several veterans fall between middle relief and high leverage: Pete Fairbanks (17%), Seranthony Domínguez (16.2), Pierce Johnson (16.1), Mark Leiter Jr. (15.1), Paul Sewald (15.1), Jakob Junis (14.9) and Kyle Finnegan (14.8).

Fairbanks and Finnegan are likely seeking two-year deals, but most players in this group will probably be signable on one-year contracts. Both Finnegan and the Tigers have expressed interest in a reunion, but someone like Fairbanks might offer a higher impact on a two-year deal in the $20 million range.

The veteran closer club

Kirby Yates (16.7%), who will be 39 on Opening Day, Kenley Jansen (16.4), who is 38, and Craig Kimbrel (15.2), who is 37, are all nearing the end of their careers and likely have at least one more productive season left. Each has a long track record and recent success.

The lefties

The Tigers already have two left-handers in the bullpen. If they add a third, it is more likely to be a signing closer to spring training. Even so, there are solid veteran options expected to be available on affordable one-year deals. Four of the five most attractive lefty options have spent time with the Tigers: Justin Wilson (17.8%), Gregory Soto (16.8), Caleb Thielbar (16.4), Danny Coulombe (14.7) and Andrew Chafin (13.7).