Tigers exec Scott Harris: Focus on young talent, but will pursue outside fits aggressively

The Detroit Tigers want to make sure the organization turns into an MLB playoff mainstay after getting a taste of October success .

Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris spoke Monday at his 2024 end-of-season news conference at Comerica Park, and stated the offseason goals for the franchise was to build on the success the young core realized to break a 10-year postseason drought.

Harris said the main focus of the Tigers' offseason would be continued development of the young core that helped them come within a game of the ALCS, and finding the right talent externally to supplement that growth and make the roster more competitive.

"The majority of our growth has to come from within," Harris said. "There are too many young players on this roster that can and must improve this offseason. The gains that they can access with the help of (A.J. Hinch's) coaching staff, they have to outweigh anything we do via an external addition because there's just too much opportunity on this roster.

"That's why we've been so adamant about building with young players because they can continue to improve. We got to help them improve, we can't ignore the growth that needs to come from within. That's not to say there won't be external additions. I don't know exactly what position they are going to come yet because it has been 48 hours since we played, but I do have some thoughts on it."

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The Tigers went further than anyone expected in 2024. They put together an improbable 31-13 run to close the regular season to finish 86-76 and clinch the final AL wild-card spot. They swept the Houston Astros, 2-0, in the wild-card series and took the Cleveland Guardians to the brink in five games in the ALDS, before bowing out while having one of the youngest rosters in baseball.

The Tigers realized their success despite seemingly waving a white flag in July. The Tigers traded away veterans like Jack Flaherty at the deadline in exchange for minor league prospects , but the Tigers' young talent started to click and got red-hot to make up a 10-game playoff deficit.

Harris was happy with the growth he saw all over the field, but said there are two areas of the roster he wants to address this offseason to improve the roster balance. He said the batting lineup became too left-hand heavy after the trade deadline, and would like to add a right-handed bat, whether that's infield or a corner outfield spot. He also wants more pitching.

"Positionally, we got a little left-handed towards the end of the year," Harris said. "I think we could use a right-handed bat to balance us out. And then pitching. We're always going to be trying to add pitching. I really like the depth that we have right now, both in the 'pen and in the rotation, but we've got to add more pitching this offseason."

The Tigers' payroll ranked 23rd in the 2024 season , at $106.5 million, before the trade deadline, and the active playoff roster came in below $20 million due to the absences of shortstop Javier Báez and pitcher Kenta Maeda, the team's two highest-paid players. The Tigers' total cap allocation, according to Spotrac , ranked 26th out of 30 teams at $98 million.

Harris gave an emphatic "yes" when asked if the front office would have the full financial support of Tigers owner and chairman Chris Ilitch, whether moves come in free agency or extending another young player.

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"(The question) is totally fair and I understand that dollars spent is the most convenient measure of activity in a given offseason, but that's not really how we think about it," Harris said. "We don't chase payroll thresholds. We chase talent. If there's a talented player we have a conviction on that fits how we play, and fits our clubhouse and he costs money, we are going to pursue them aggressively."

And the front office will be looking for those swings in every market. Harris said part of the reason why he put such an emphasis on rebuilding the farm system was to potentially facilitate a trade if a player under contract is the one they want to add.

"If we find a situation where a player we have conviction on, fits how we play, costs both money and prospects, well we're prepared to do that too," Harris said. "We just have to anchor all our decisions by the talent and how much that player can help us, first and foremost. It's what has guided us to this position that we are in and we are not going to lose sight of that."

The Tigers ranked 20th in payroll in 2022 at $121.5 million before dropping down in 2023 after having some expensive players replaced by young players on rookie-scale deals. The Tigers were a high-spending team a decade ago under owner Mike Ilitch, with superstars like Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander. The franchise regularly was one of the highest payrolls across MLB, but has slashed the payroll in recent years as the team got exponentially younger.

But that could change, depending on what is available both in the free agency and trade market this winter. Harris said he would have a better idea of specific targets at baseball's winter meetings in December in Dallas , and provided a look at how those conversations will go with ownership.

"I need to make compelling cases for additions that can help this team improve," Harris said. "When I do that, I know I'm going to have the full support of Chris."

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Harris declined to comment on potential extensions for any current Tigers player, saying it would be unfair to them to say something publicly about negotiations. Left-handed ace Tarik Skubal is under contract through the 2026 season in the final two years of arbitration, along with catcher Jake Rogers . Others like outfielder Riley Greene, top hitter Kerry Carpenter and reliever Tyler Holton are under contract through 2028.

He promised, however, the front office would continue to invest into the team this offseason, both with personnel moves and at all levels (such as the team's new clubhouse) of the organization's development, to keep the Tigers in the playoff chase for years to come.

"We are going to keep investing in the payroll," Harris said. "We are going to keep investing in non-payroll items that make this place a destination and keep us in October for years to come for many years. It's on me to make those compelling cases and I know when I do, I'm going to have full support to do the things that we believe can make us a winning organization for a long time."

Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press covering the city's professional teams, the state's two flagship universities and more. Follow Jared on X @jared_ramsey22 , and email him at jramsey@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tigers exec Scott Harris: Focus on young talent, but will pursue outside fits aggressively