One of the more unusual headlines of this offseason has been the reports of the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Miami Marlins are going to spend this offseason.  The Pirates apparently showed interest in Josh Naylor, but there were no offers were officially reported. 

The reason behind this, according to recent reports, the Pirates are expected to add somewhere in the ballpark of $30–$40 million in payroll this offseason.  That’s significant: given that the club was “historically stingy,” this marks one of their more aggressive postseasons in recent memory.  On the other hand, this is the same organization who has cut players when they are close to hitting a contract clause.  

Last September, the Pirates designated Rowdy Tellez for assignment just four plate appearances short of a clause that would have triggered a $200,000 bonus. More recently, the Pirates designated Andrew Heaney for assignment, his contract included innings-based incentive bonuses, which the change to a bullpen role had already made harder to reach.  The Pirates have not signed anyone to a multi-year deal since Ivan Nova (former Tiger, by the way) in 2016. 

One key reason behind the sudden shift: with the league’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA) up for renewal soon and revenue-sharing in flux, small-market clubs like Miami and Pittsburgh may feel pressure to spend more now. They likely want to prove they are serious about fielding competitive teams — and deserve a fair share of revenue going forward.

For the Marlins, the motivation isn’t strictly financial. After a 2025 season that included a surprising 17-win improvement, there’s a belief within the organization that they’re close to contention, and that now might be the moment to strike. There has been discussions of extending breakout star Kyle Stowers, who they picked up from Baltimore via trade. 

The Pirates are looking for offensive upgrades while the Marlins are looking to upgrade their pitching, despite a deep system of young arms but as it has been said so often, you can't never have enough arms. 

For the two clubs in question, this represents a strategic shift. For years, both Miami and Pittsburgh were considered bottom-third payroll spenders, typically relying heavily on youth and caution in free agency. Now, with increased financial commitment, they seem prepared to challenge, at least in part, the mid-tier or upper half of teams, almost where the Tigers are currently. 

And for the Tigers, this matters , even if only indirectly. With small-market competitors like the Marlins and Pirates starting to invest, the overall competition level in the league’s “middle class” could rise. That means any margin for error shrinks. If Detroit hopes to continue to make the postseason, it might soon be facing deeper rosters from more aggressive clubs, not just the traditional heavy spenders like the Mets and the Dodgers. 

More concretely: Detroit’s front office will likely have to remain diligent in finding value, through internal development, smart trades, or under-the-radar free agents, to stay competitive without overspending, which seems to be the way Scott Harris has done business so far. 

The fans in plain words, just want to see the Tigers try to spend, like on bringing back Tarik Skubal or have a veteran bat to the roster. 

Finally, from a big-picture view: should the CBA negotiations shift how revenue sharing and payroll floors work, early adopters (teams spending now) may position themselves as frontrunners in a new era of parity in baseball. 

For all the noise about the Tigers “never spending,” the reality is this: Detroit is a middle-of-the-pack payroll team, not a bottom feeder. Last season, the Tigers finished with a payroll in the $155–158 million range, which put them around 17th–18th in MLB. They’re not behaving like a big-market heavyweight but they’re also nowhere near the true non-spenders in the sport.

The Pirates have routinely ranked between 27th and 30th in payroll, often operating between $60–85 million, a level that’s made it nearly impossible to retain talent or add meaningful veteran support.

The Marlins, even during years when they’ve had competitive rosters, have lived in the bottom five in spending, frequently in the $70–90 million range, earning them a league-wide reputation for prioritizing the “tear it down to rebuild it” again with both their 1997 and 2003 title teams. 

Both teams have spent so conservatively that it has materially hurt them, creating two of the worst reputations for frugality in MLB.  Pittsburgh has such a rich history of baseball, to see stories to spend to build on Paul Skenes, you hope as a Pirates fan, are just not lip service, but based in levels of reality. 

By comparison, the Tigers are spending more, developing more, and clearly investing more than either of those clubs. But here’s the truth Detroit has to confront: middle-of-the-pack spending can only take you so far. The Tigers have rebuilt the farm system, improved development infrastructure, and started to form at least a pipeline to produce positional players and pitchers. 

But to get over the hump, to transition from “promising” to legitimate playoff threat, the Tigers need to supplement that development with targeted, meaningful spending. Not reckless spending, but the kind that raises the floor, adds real depth, and doesn’t force prospects to carry the entire load.

In short: Detroit isn’t one of the league’s tightest teams, not by a long shot. But if they want to take the next step, they will have to invest like a team that expects to win, while continuing the developmental process that has brought them this far.

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