The Detroit Tigers have been an often talked-about team this offseason in the starting pitcher market. While Tarik Skubal is drawing the most attention, the Tigers are still looking to make upgrades to the rotation.
With Casey Mize, Jakc Flaherty, and Skubal as the core of the rotation, Detroit could use some more depth behind that trio at the very least.
And according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Tigers are making one such depth signing, agreeing to terms on a one-year deal with a KBO pitcher coming off a 2.25 ERA season, who last pitched in the Majors back in 2021.
Tigers sign 2.25 ERA KBO ace who last pitched in MLB back in 2021
“Free-agent right-hander Drew Anderson in agreement with Tigers on a one-year deal with club option, pending physical, sources tell @TheAthletic,” Rosenthal reported.
Drew Anderson has spent the last four years playing internationally, as his last MLB stint came in 2021 with the Texas Rangers. He also previously spent time playing for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago White Sox.
But, in Korea in 2025, Anderson had a 2.25 ERA in 30 starts for the SSG Landers. He had a 12-7 record, struck out 245 batters, and walked only 51 in 171.2 innings pitched.
It was his best season in the KBO, and it was enough for the Tigers to decide to sign the 31-year-old to a one-year deal to pitch in the Major Leagues for the first time in half a decade.
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While he never got much of a chance to pitch for an extended period of time in the Majors, let alone as a starter, Anderson in 2021 had a 3.27 ERA in nine appearances and 22 innings for the Rangers.
Across his time in the Majors, Anderson had a 6.50 ERA in 19 games and 44.1 innings pitched. After signing with the Tigers in 2024 as a free agent, he was released in late April, before he returned overseas to pitch in the KBO for the remainder of the 2024 season.
The Tigers are giving Anderson another chance to make his mark in the Majors, as they’re bringing him in on a one-year deal with a plan to make him a starter. A club option gives the Tigers a chance to bring him back for 2027 if 2026 goes well.
It’s a low-risk, high-upside move for the Tigers, as Anderson, who last pitched in the Major Leagues back in 2021, gets another shot at making his mark in MLB.
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