What if it could be a risky bet? That’s true, but the Detroit Tigers have some experience with that kind of leap into the unknown, especially with pitchers who, in the end, have never managed to break out enough. So, if the mindset going forward is to avoid big spending, left-hander Foster Griffin, 30, could be an interesting pitcher to follow in free agency.

Let’s start with what was undoubtedly an interesting showing, and Griffin finished the postseason with the Cleveland Guardians posting a 3.48 ERA in 10 ⅓ innings, with 15 strikeouts, no walks, and only four runs allowed.

He did it in two relief appearances and one start, in which he faced 43 batters and none of them hit a home run against him. It was his first postseason experience, so it wasn’t bad at all, assuming he was a successful pitcher throughout the entire season.

Griffin’s story is as interesting as his ability to resurrect his career. He debuted at age 24 with the Kansas City Royals, and it was during the complicated 2020 season, which was shortened by the pandemic. He pitched just 1 ⅔ innings, faced six batters, allowed no hits, and ended up earning the win.

In 2021, Griffin was unable to pitch after undergoing Tommy John surgery for a tear in the ligament in his left elbow. He returned in 2022, but struggled as a reliever and ended up out of the Major Leagues.

In 2023, he preferred to go to Japan rather than continue pitching in the Minors and signed with Japan’s Yomiuri Giants, where he regained his place as a starter. He worked on expanding his repertoire, adding three key pitches, the sinker, a sweeper, and a splitter, and that leap led him to finish with a 2.57 ERA over three seasons in the NPB.

The dominance he experienced in Japan opened the door for Griffin to return to MLB in 2026 with the Washington Nationals, and he ended up pitching to a 12-3 record with a 3.06 ERA in his first 22 starts before later being traded to the Guardians at the trade deadline.

Griffin Could Be Interesting for Tigers

I think the first key point here is that Griffin could be a much more affordable option than other pitchers on the free-agent market, and he could be a very interesting bet.

Comerica Park should be a good environment, since Griffin has stood out for his ability to keep batted balls on the ground, and he finished the season in the 68th percentile in GB%.

But one of the most interesting points I see here is the fact of adding a left-handed arm to a rotation that only had Framber Valdez, along with the ability Griffin showed to progress through games and deliver deep outings.

He’s not the typical pitcher you’ll see with a lot of red bars on his Baseball Savant page, at least beyond the impact of his cutter—he finished in the 95th percentile with an 8 Run Value—the sinker, and the changeup, but in 27 of his 31 starts he secured at least five innings, and in 15 of them he went six or more. That addition, by itself, would provide something Detroit didn’t often have throughout the 2026 season.