The Detroit Tigers are having one of the best seasons in franchise history, and despite not making an addition for a huge bat they certainly could have used at the MLB trade deadline, they were very active by making several pitching depth additions.
A team that is almost guaranteed to be playing in October, the Tigers are eight games up in the American League Central and have the best pitcher in baseball in Tarik Skubal, who is on pace to win his second consecutive AL Cy Young award. The only question Detroit faces heading into the final stretch of the season is whether the bats can be enough to make a deep playoff run.
Which Word Describes the Tigers’ Deadline?
The Detroit Tigers were one of the more active buyers at the deadline and made several transactions. The pitching names they added were Chris Paddack and Randy Dobnak from the Minnesota Twins. On top of that, they traded for Kyle Finnegan, Rafael Montero, and Charlie Morton.
Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer described the Tigers are “solidified” following the deadline:
“There’s a whole lot of new faces amid Detroit’s pitching staff, but it’s harder than it should be to get excited about any of them. The best is probably Morton, and even that opinion is based on an assumption that the 41-year-old will continue his recent hot stretch. Still, nobody has ever looked upon more pitching depth as a bad thing. And if the Tigers are wise, they’ll look to leverage theirs in such a way as to ensure that Tarik Skubal is armed and ready for the playoffs. If anyone is going to carry them back to the World Series, it’s him.”
The addition of Finnegan is also a very underrated move. He likely won’t unseat reliever Will Vest as the closer, but manager A.J. Hinch now has another strong late-inning option he can turn to. Finnegan has already recorded a couple of outings with the Tigers and has yet to give up a run.
So, How ‘Solidified’ Are the Tigers?
Nobody is questioning the Detroit Tigers’ pitching staff after the many moves they made, but it will be up to Detroit’s lineup to score just enough to give way to the strong rotation and dominant bullpen to close out games.
As Rymer noted, the addition of Morton is a good one. Although Morton has an ERA over 5.00 this season, he’s pitched better as of late, and can at least provide a stable option that will alleviate some pressure off the bullpen, and most importantly, Skubal. Over Morton’s last 18.2 innings, he’s given up seven earned runs, has fifteen strikeouts in three starts.
If the Tigers have any flaw, it is that their lineup features a lot of strikeouts. Detroit had four position players in the All-Star game, and Riley Greene is considered their best hitter, and he’s on pace to lead Major League Baseball in strikeouts. Ks are certainly a big part of the game, but that flaw can easily be exposed in the playoffs.
Detroit Tigers ‘Solidified’ After Active Trade Deadline