Tigers' Kyle Finnegan Makes Strong Statement on His Upcoming Free Agency
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At the trade deadline back in July, the Detroit Tigers added some key bullpen arms for the stretch run and the postseason. One relief pitcher they acquired was veteran Kyle Finnegan from the Washington Nationals for a pair of prospects.
Finnegan ended up being a vital piece of the Tigers bullpen after the trade, despite landing on the injured list in early September after suffering a right adductor strain warming up before an appearance against the New York Mets. When he returned and in the playoffs, he was a key piece to A.J. Hinch's bullpen.
After Detroit was eliminated from the American League Division Series in Game 5 Friday night by the Seattle Mariners, the 34-year-old spoke about his time with the Tigers and sounded like someone who wants to return in 2026.
Kyle Finnegan Makes Strong Statement About Upcoming Free Agency
When he was healthy, Finnegan was a big addition to the Tigers' bullpen. In 16 regular-season appearances following the trade, he worked 18 innings, allowed nine hits, three earned runs, and finished with a 1.50 ERA. He had 23 strikeouts and just four walks.
In Friday's Game 5, he started the seventh inning looking to protect a 2-1 lead after Tarik Skubal was pulled by Hinch. He got a pair of fly-balls, but a walk to Jorge Polanco and a Josh Naylor single put two runners on with two outs. He was relieved by Tyler Holton, who allowed a game-tying single to Leo Rivas.
After the game, Finnegan reflected on his time with the Tigers following the trade. As he enters free agency this winter, he will explore his options, which also could mean a return to Detroit for 2026.
"I loved every second of my time here,'' said Finnegan. "Hopefully, the feeling is mutual. We’ll head into free agency and see what that has in store for me, but I can't say enough good things about the Tigers."
The Tigers have a lot of young arms that are going to slide into bullpen roles next season, but Finnegan is a player that the front office needs to consider long and hard about bringing back. There will be a market for him as teams are always looking to add bullpen pieces, but Finnegan is someone who fits in very well following the trade deadline for Hinch.
There are going to be a lot of big decisions coming up for Detroit's front office this winter, and Finnegan is someone who will be on the list of players for whom a key decision needs to be made.
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Scott Roche has covered both college and professional sports for nearly three decades for various outlets. Scott has covered the MLB, NHL, and college sports and he is someone always looking for a good rumor, no matter which sport it is.