Kris Bubic’s swing-and-miss ability makes him worth a look for the Tigers’ bullpen

The Detroit Tigers should consider Kris Bubic as they evaluate bullpen additions this offseason. The left-hander has experience working in relief and enough swing-and-miss ability to make the idea worth exploring, although his command and willingness to accept that role would be important parts of the discussion.

Bubic is approaching free agency, creating a potential opportunity for Detroit to add him for some additonal depth to go along with Drew Sommers and Tyler Holton. His background as a starter could attract teams looking for rotation help, so a bullpen assignment would have to appeal to him as well as the Tigers.

The first question is whether Bubic misses enough bats to become a useful relief option. His 2026 Baseball Savant profile offers a qualified yes. He struck out 24.8% of the hitters he faced, placing him in the 68th percentile, while his 25.9% whiff rate ranked in the 57th percentile. Those numbers show an ability to finish plate appearances with strikeouts, even though his overall rate of generating misses was closer to the middle of the pack.

Bubic’s profile gives Detroit something to work with, but it would be a stretch to describe him as an overpowering late-inning option based on those numbers alone.

His changeup provides the strongest reason to look closer. Opponents hit .119 against it in 2026, and the pitch generated a 32.1% whiff rate. The slider also produced misses, finishing with a 33.3% whiff rate, although its 75-pitch sample requires caution. Those results suggest two offerings worth examining for a more concentrated relief approach.

The usage patterns in his Savant profile help explain how that could work. Bubic threw his changeup 27% of the time against right-handed hitters and less than 1% against lefties. Against left-handed hitters, he leaned more heavily on his sinker, sweeper and slider. That gives Detroit a starting point for planning matchups rather than treating him strictly as a left-handed specialist.

Shorter appearances could allow Bubic to emphasize the pitches best suited to the hitters coming up. Detroit would still need to determine whether changing his usage improves the overall results, since throwing a successful pitch more often does not guarantee it will remain equally effective. There also should be no assumption that a bullpen move would produce a significant velocity increase.

There is previous relief success to support the idea. Bubic posted a 2.67 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings for Kansas City in 2024. In September 2026, he added five scoreless appearances for the Dodgers, striking out five without a walk over 4 2/3 innings. The latter stretch was encouraging, but far too brief to establish what he could provide over a full season.

Control remains the clearest concern. His 11.5% walk rate in 2026 ranked in the 14th percentile, and his 4.21 expected ERA was higher than his actual 3.76 ERA. A reliever entering with runners aboard has little room to create additional traffic, making strike throwing an essential part of any projection.

Bubic’s 48.6% ground-ball rate, which ranked in the 81st percentile, adds another useful element. He would not have to rely entirely on strikeouts to escape trouble. A pitcher who can generate both misses and grounders could give A.J. Hinch another option when an inning begins to get away.

The Tigers should explore the fit without treating Bubic as the entire solution. His changeup, strikeout rate and previous relief work support a conversation, while the walks and limited recent workload keep expectations in check. If he is open to a bullpen role, Detroit would have a specific case to present: a defined assignment built around his best pitches, with an opportunity to earn more demanding innings.