5 Free Agents Detroit Tigers Could Pursue In Offseason

The Tigers appear to be interested in acquiring an outfielder but seem to be focused on a center fielder, which could dampen their interest in Melky Cabrera. Sure, Cabrera was once a center fielder, but he has not played that position regularly since he was with the Kansas City Royals in 2011. Nevertheless, the Tigers could still use him at one of the corners if they feel that Steven Moya and Tyler Collins need more time in the minors.

With Scherzer expected to depart, the Tigers will obviously need to fill a hole in their starting rotation. While many believe that youngsters such as Kyle Lobstein, Kyle Ryan, Buck Farmer and Robbie Ray will compete for the gig in Spring Training, the Tigers may be wise to give James Shields a look. Despite his postseason struggles, Shields has posted a career record of 114-90 with a 3.72 ERA, and his price-tag will be lower than Scherzer's.

The Tigers know Pat Neshek, a free-agent-to-be, from the time he spent with the Minnesota Twins from 2006-10. Last season, the side-arming righty patched together his finest season to date, going 7-2 with a 1.87 ERA and an 0.79 WHIP for the St. Louis Cardinals. Everyone knows the Tigers' bullpen scuffled in 2014, posting a 4.29 ERA that ranked fourth-worst in the majors. Signing Neshek could give the Tigers' pen a much-needed boost.

In 2007, the Tigers sent Andrew Miller to the Florida Marlins as part of a six-player package that brought Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to Detroit. Miller never became the starter that he was expected to be, but he later carved out a niche as a dominant reliever. Miller would be a great addition to the Tigers' bullpen, and it would be a nice story to see his career come full circle. His asking price will likely be quite high, however.

Another free-agent-to-be who could really bolster the Tigers' bullpen is none other than Luke Gregerson. The 30-year-old right-hander put together a career year with the Oakland A's in 2014, posting a 5-5 record, a 2.12 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP. Like Miller, Gregerson will likely be able to command a pretty nice payday, but the Tigers desperately need to patch up their bullpen -- regardless of the cost.