Tigers Could Fall Behind Other Contenders With Lack of Impact Deadline Additions
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The Detroit Tigers were in as good a position as any team heading into the MLB trade deadline to make some impactful additions.
There were clear-cut areas of need on the roster, with third base and their bullpen being the most pressing needs to address.
Armed with one of the best farm systems in baseball, the Tigers had the means to swing for some big trades if the opportunity presented itself.
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Struggling heading into the All-Star break and coming out of it, Detroit no longer owned the best record in baseball. That skid, along with other teams getting hot and rising to the top, was motivation enough to make some moves.
Fans dreamed of adding a slugger like Eugenio Suarez of the Arizona Diamondbacks to the middle of the order. Landing a lights-out closer, such as David Bednar of the Pittsburgh Pirates or Ryan Helsley of the St. Louis Cardinals would have helped solidify the backend.
Alas, no moves of that magnitude were completed.
Instead, the Tigers took what felt like half-measures, stockpiling depth on their pitching staff but not elite arms.
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To fill the backend of their rotation, Detroit acquired Chris Paddack from the Minnesota Twins and Charlie Morton from the Baltimore Orioles.
Their biggest bullpen addition was Kyle Finnegan from the Washington Nationals. He joins Rafael Montero in the Major League bullpen, who was acquired from the Atlanta Braves.
Eventually, the injured Paul Sewald, who was acquired from the Cleveland Guardians, will join the mix. Codi Heuer came over from the Texas Rangers but is in the minor leagues.
That is a lot of new faces, but it is fair to wonder if enough was done to improve a team with legitimate World Series aspirations, especially when other contenders went for broke.
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“Even with the addition of Charlie Morton (who looked good in his first start as a Tiger!), I’m not certain that was impactful enough for a team with World Series aspirations, especially on a deadline that saw a lot of top-end relief arms change uniforms,” wrote Levi Weaver of The Athletic (subscription required).
The Seattle Mariners needed offense and upgraded in a huge way, acquiring Suarez and Josh Naylor from the Diamondbacks.
The New York Yankees were aggressive addressing their needs at third base and the bullpen, coming away with Ryan McMahon, Amed Rosario, Austin Slater, Bednar, Camilo Doval and Jake Bird.
The Rangers didn’t add offense but reinforced their pitching staff with starter Merrill Kelly and relievers Danny Coulombe and Phil Maton.
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Detroit is currently tied for the best record in the AL entering play on Aug. 5 with the Toronto Blue Jays, who acquired Seranthony Domiguez and Louis Varland to upgrade the bullpen, Shane Bieber for the rotation and Ty France for their bench.
Don’t forget the Houston Astros, who brought back Carlos Correa, added Ramon Urias for infield depth and landed their much-needed left-handed bat in Jesus Sanchez.
All of the contenders in the AL were aggressive, which left something to be desired with how the Tigers did.
For more Tigers news, head over to Tigers On SI.
Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.