The Detroit Tigers' Struggles Affirm Their Trade Deadline Approach
- Chad Marriott
- Sep 20
- 5 min read
It may seem counterintuitive, but the Detroit Tigers' struggles after the All-Star break have affirmed the cautious, long-term approach the team took at the deadline. Fans and the media criticized the lack of "go-for-it" mentality at the time, and those who held that opinion feel they have been vindicated by the Tigers' 26-31 since the break. However, the struggles at the plate, on the mound, from newcomers to the team's All-Stars (aside from Tarik Skubal), have affirmed the organization's reluctance to deal prospects for one or possibly two "stars" as the right approach.
The number of issues the team has had since August 1 is alarming, but they shouldn't be taken as an indictment of the deadline. Instead, they should be attributed to the overperformance of certain players, a lack of progression from others, and the offseason approach.
Detroit Tigers Deadline Acquisitions
The Detroit Tigers emphasized pitching at the deadline, with good cause. This team has faced numerous pitching injuries, including Beau Brieske, Jason Foley, and Sean Guenther (all key players in 2024).
Key Pitching Injuries
Beau Brieske
Dylan Smith
Alex Lange
Alex Cobb
Jason Foley
Ty Madden
Reese Olson
Jackson Jobe
Then, Tommy Kahnle began struggling after a strong first couple of months. Will Vest has also started to struggle with velocity. However, the players they added have been misses, to put it mildly.
Player | Games | ERA | IP | Hits/Walks |
Kyle Finnegan | 12 | 0.00 | 14.1 | 3/3 |
Rafael Montero | 16 | 3.15 | 20.0 | 10/11 |
Charlie Morton | 9 | 7.09 | 39.1 | 40/21 |
Chris Paddack | 11 | 6.12 | 42.2 | 44/6 |
Paul Sewald | 1 | 27.00 | 0.2 | 2/1 |
Codi Heuer | 2 | 5.40 | 3.1 | 3/2 |
Kyle Finnegan and Rafael Montero have both proven to be solid additions to this bullpen. The biggest issue arises with the additions of Charlie Morton and Chris Paddack, who have struggled to replace the injured Jackson Jobe and Reese Olson. The struggles of Casey Mize and Jack Flaherty further compound these elements.
The issue with the deadline criticisms is the cost and the Tigers' performance. No one player on this list would have prevented this team from this freefall. Assuming that's true, the organization should consider itself fortunate that it didn't lose major prospects. This collapse, combined with the loss of prospects (rumored to be Jose Briceno), would have doubled the pain. Eugenio Saurez, a much-coveted player, has hit .185/.673 with 66 Ks to just 15 BBs. Those numbers are not exactly needle-movers.
Merrill Kelly has a 4.06 ERA for the Rangers, much better than Paddack or Morton; however, they gave up their 5th, 9th, and 13th-best prospects. For context, that would have been Thayon Liranzo, Max Anderson, and Owen Hall. Of course, the Tigers' farm system is deeper, meaning it wouldn't be a slot-for-slot match. Still, the organization is unlikely to match that price.
Key Deadline Trades Around the League
Eugenio Suárez
David Bednar
Mason Miller
Griffin Jax
Ryan Helsey
Carlos Correa
Jhoan Duran
Merrill Kelly
Shane Bieber
Detroit Tigers All-Stars' Post-Deadline Struggles
Another issue with the Tigers has been the struggles of their All-Stars since the trade deadline. Javier Baez, Zach McKinstry, Gleyber Torres, and Riley Greene have not hit as well, struck out more, and walked less. Aside from Greene, there hasn't been much power either. More aggressiveness at the deadline would not have made up for this amount of regression.
Player | Games | AVG/OPS | HRs/RBIs | Ks/BBs |
Javier Baez | 31 | .229/.573 | 1/11 | 26/1 |
Zach McKinstry | 38 | .220/.653 | 2/11 | 28/7 |
Gleyber Torres | 41 | .211/.669 | 5/23 | 35/29 |
Riley Greene | 43 | .214/.706 | 8/24 | 47/16 |
It's possible that another bat would have down the lineup effects, but that raises two questions:
Did the first-half performance of McKinstry and Baez mask larger issues?
Would an additional bat pull Greene and Torres out of a slump?
The first question appears to be a yes. Adding a bat wouldn't have prevented those two players from balancing out. The second question is difficult to answer. It may have helped both players prevent extended slumps, but as noted above, it doesn't appear that a game-changing bat was available. Then, does an addition solve the issues at shortstop, third base, and centerfield? The extended missed time from Parker Meadows and Matt Vierling is difficult to account for. The same goes for Kerry Carpenter. The Tigers have a 69-54 record in games he plays in (60-44 in games he starts). Injuries are a part of baseball. So, it's not an excuse, just information.
Young Players That Didn't Progress
Another issue comes from the philosophy of not blocking the path to the majors. The philosophy helped Wenceel Perez and Dillon Dingler break out this year after Colt Keith did so last year. However, Justyn-Henry Malloy, Jace Jung, and Trey Sweeney have not been able to elevate themselves into reliable Major League players. Furthermore, Hao-Yu Lee has not been able to earn a call-up.
Players | Games | AVG/OPS | HRs/RBIs | Ks/BBs |
Justyn-Henry Malloy | 49 | .203/.658 | 1/17 | 31/20 |
Jace Jung | 19 | .109/.349 | 0/3 | 16/7 |
Trey Sweeney | 114 | .197/.550 | 6/32 | 90/24 |
Plethora of Bullpen Attempts
While the Tigers have been able to patch together a bullpen this year, Scott Harris's ability to identify diamonds in the rough has waned. Tyler Holton, Brenan Hanifee, and Bailey Horn have been success stories, but the organization has been unable to sustain that success.
John Brebbia
Dietrich Enns
Carlos Hernandez
Matt Gage
Luke Jackson
Kenta Maeda
Geoff Hartlieb
Jose Urquidy
Drew Sommers
Tyler Owens
Chase Lee
While Chris Fetter has been a game-changer in his ability to get the most out of pitchers, the options this year resulted in the Tigers needing to prioritize the bullpen at the deadline. If they hadn't had the number of injuries and misses in free agency/waiver wire, the Tigers could have leaned in to adding a better starting pitcher or a bat at the deadline instead of relying on Baez, McKinstry, and Mize to sustain their All-Star level.
Looking at the offseason, Alex Cobb and Jack Flaherty haven't been good signings. Cobb did everything he could to return this season, but was unable to do so. Scott Harris is criticized for a lot, some of which is deserved, and much of it isn't. His inability to add to the rotation behind Skubal (Kenta Maeda, Cobb, Morton, Paddack, Flaherty) is arguably his most significant shortcoming. Again, Olson and Jobe having season-ending injuries isn't his fault, but relying on these additions, as well as Sawyer Gibson-Long and Matt Manning, for depth is.
(All stats provided by Baseball Reference as of September 19)
For more material like this, click here to see all previous sports-related posts. Additionally, consider subscribing to or following us on Facebook or Instagram to stay up-to-date with our latest posts.
Comments