{"id":549425,"date":"2026-02-01T19:48:23","date_gmt":"2026-02-01T19:48:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/549425\/"},"modified":"2026-02-01T19:48:23","modified_gmt":"2026-02-01T19:48:23","slug":"buster-olney-names-5-starters-detroit-tigers-could-target-including-2-former-cy-young-winners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/549425\/","title":{"rendered":"Buster Olney Names 5 Starters Detroit Tigers Could Target (Including 2 Former Cy Young Winners)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Detroit Tigers <\/a>have made real progress, but they\u2019re still one move away.<\/p>\n

As the organization looks ahead to the 2026 season, the path forward feels obvious: add a true frontline starting pitcher and let everything else fall into place.<\/p>\n

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Detroit\u2019s rotation has depth, upside, and stability. What it doesn\u2019t have, yet, is a second, unquestioned difference-maker to pair with Tarik Skubal <\/a>when the stakes are highest.<\/p>\n

\"Justin<\/p>\n

Justin Verlander Detroit Tigers reunion Detroit Tigers frontline starter 2026<\/p>\n

Where the Tigers\u2019 Rotation Stands<\/p>\n

Skubal has established himself as the ace, giving Detroit a legitimate No. 1 starter every time he takes the ball. Behind him, the Tigers currently project a rotation that includes:<\/p>\n

Jack Flaherty, a veteran with swing-and-miss stuff<\/p>\n

Casey Mize, still working back toward consistency<\/p>\n

Reese Olson, steady and reliable<\/p>\n

Drew Anderson and Troy Melton, providing depth and flexibility<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a solid group, one capable of keeping Detroit competitive. But in October, solid isn\u2019t enough.<\/p>\n

Why a Frontline Arm Changes Everything<\/p>\n

The difference between making the playoffs and making noise in the playoffs often comes down to who starts Games 1 and 2.<\/p>\n

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Adding a proven frontline starter would:<\/p>\n

Reduce the workload on young arms<\/p>\n

Create favorable playoff matchups<\/p>\n

Stabilize the rotation during long stretches of the season<\/p>\n

Instantly raise Detroit\u2019s ceiling<\/p>\n

The Tigers don\u2019t need volume. They need impact.<\/p>\n

Buster Olney Identifies Veteran Fits for Detroit<\/p>\n

MLB insider Buster Olney <\/a>recently pointed to several veteran starters who could make sense for the Tigers as they push toward contention in 2026.<\/p>\n

Among the pitchers Olney mentioned as potential fits:<\/p>\n

Each brings a different skill set, but all share one thing in common: they\u2019ve proven they can lead a rotation in meaningful games.<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s Verlander or Scherzer\u2019s postseason pedigree, Giolito\u2019s durability, Valdez\u2019s dominance, or Bassitt\u2019s consistency, any one of those arms would immediately slot next to Skubal and give Detroit a playoff-ready top of the rotation.<\/p>\n

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Why the Timing Makes Sense<\/p>\n

Detroit isn\u2019t rebuilding anymore, it\u2019s transitioning.<\/p>\n

The roster is young but stabilizing. The rotation has internal answers, but not dominance. Adding a veteran ace now would allow the Tigers to protect their development while still pushing forward.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the kind of move teams make when they believe their window is opening, not someday, but now.<\/p>\n

Bottom Line<\/p>\n

The Tigers don\u2019t need to overhaul their pitching staff.<\/p>\n

They need one bold addition.<\/p>\n

If Detroit wants 2026 to be about more than just progress, pairing Tarik Skubal with a proven frontline starter, like the veterans highlighted by Buster Olney, may be the move that turns potential into postseason reality.<\/p>\n

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The post Buster Olney Names 5 Starters Detroit Tigers Could Target (Including 2 Former Cy Young Winners)<\/a> appeared first on Detroit Sports Nation<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Detroit Tigers have made real progress, but they\u2019re still one move away. As the organization looks ahead…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":549426,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2386],"tags":[5,6453,399,82,147,53,2583,63086,79,84,388,585,381,4,768,382,594,33608],"class_list":["post-549425","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-detroit-tigers","tag-baseball","tag-buster-olney","tag-casey-mize","tag-chris-bassitt","tag-detroit","tag-detroit-tigers","tag-detroittigers","tag-drew-anderson","tag-framber-valdez","tag-jack-flaherty","tag-justin-verlander","tag-lucas-giolito","tag-max-scherzer","tag-mlb","tag-reese-olson","tag-tarik-skubal","tag-tigers","tag-troy-melton"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/115997108877166035","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/549425","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=549425"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/549425\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/549426"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=549425"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=549425"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=549425"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}