Tigers reliever opens up about competing without big names like Aaron Judge & Juan Soto
The Detroit Tigers have been one of the biggest stories of the 2025 season so far. After reaching the postseason last year for the first time since 2014, the team needed to prove that it wasn't a fluke. It's safe to say that after the first month of the season, Detroit has done that as it leads the American League with a 22-13 record.
The Tigers have achieved this success in a number of ways, however, their potent pitching staff has been one of the driving forces. Detroit's 2.96 ERA is the second-best in baseball.
According to Spotrac, the Tigers are in the bottom half in terms of team payroll, which only adds to how impressive their start has been.
Veteran reliever Tommy Kahnle discussed this on the latest episode of Foul Territory. Kahnle, who has spent time with a number of different clubs, including the New York Yankees, spoke about how impressive the Detroit culture is without spending on major free agents such as Aaron Judge or Juan Soto.
"They don't have to go out and afford Judge, Soto, those giant names so they kind of work to what they know.... The culture here is different in terms of what you can do with what you have," Kahnle explained.
Kahnle spoke about the team's emphasis on fundamental baseball and the ability to get the most out of the talent they have on the roster. Detroit has been getting considerable production from some of its homegrown stars, such as Kerry Carpenter, Spencer Torkelson, and Riley Greene.
The Detroit Tigers have had plenty of production despite being rather quiet in the free agent market this offseason
This past offseason, the Tigers made only a few notable moves, with their biggest signings being Gleyber Torres, Tommy Kahnle, and Jack Flaherty. Even though the team was linked to Alex Bregman throughout the winter, it has fared well without him, getting plenty of production from other players.
Alex Bregman has been tremendous for the Boston Red Sox, however, Detroit's payroll remains relatively low, which could open the door for further moves this summer. This will also allow the club to allocate more money to re-signing some of their superstars, such as Tarik Skubal, who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2026 season.