The Detroit Tigers have a big decision to make regarding their upcoming contract situation with Tarik Skubal. With Skubal set to become a free agent next offseason, the Tigers need to do everything they can this season to win a championship while Skubal is still on the roster.
For Detroit to accomplish this, they will need to step up their pitching to have another reliable pitcher with Tarik Skubal. Jack Flaherty is not the quality second starter the Tigers thought he could be, Casey Mize is OK, but not able to be the second ace behind Skubal, and Reese Olson has been injured often.
As for Detroit, they may look to free agency instead for another pitcher to further help the rotation, and one pitcher they could sign is Dylan Cease.
Dylan terminated contract with Detroit Tigers in MLB free agency
Dylan Cease is currently one of the top MLB pitchers in free agency, even though he had a 4.55 ERA in the 2025 season, he still had 215 strikeouts and led all of baseball in strikeouts per nine innings.
The San Diego Padres need pitching help and may try to bring him back, but for Dylan Cease, it makes more sense to sign elsewhere and test his luck on a team better prepared to compete this year.
One thing is for sure, Dylan Cease has provided elite pitching throughout his career, resulting in a high swing and miss rate for opposing batters. This is exactly the type of pitching the Tigers need. With Cease signing after a down year, he may not be able to make as much of a splash on the open market as he has in years past. This gives Detroit the ability to sign a great pitcher, and have a backup ace on the roster in case Skubal leaves after the 2026 season.
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