Tigers Clearly Made Wrong Decision Releasing Young Reliever at Trade Deadline
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The Detroit Tigers are in a complete free fall right now where nothing seems to be going right , and no matter what they do, they can't get in the win column while their hated rival, the Cleveland Guardians, can't seem to lose.
Clinging to a lead which was once ocean sized in the American League Central to try to avoid what would be the biggest divisional collapse in Major League history, Tigers fans are rightfully frustrated and outright disgusted with the product as of late. When teams fall into skids like this, it's easy to question and revisit every single move they made to get to this point, and things are no different with Detroit here.
President of baseball operations Scott Harris deserves a ton of blame for the way he handled the trade deadline, and outside of Kyle Finnegan, nearly every move -- or lack thereof -- has been a complete disaster. Not only have the acquisitions not performed though, there have been some solid showings from guys they let go as well. One name in particular has found his stride in the bullpen since being kicked to the curb in the Motor City.
PJ Poulin Has Been Star for Nationals Since DFA by Tigers
When Detroit traded for Baltimore Orioles veteran Charlie Morton, they had to clear a spot on the roster for the 41-year-old, and they elected to get rid of right-hander PJ Poulin off the 40-man roster by designating him for assignment. Poulin was a trade acquisition prior to the 2024 season and never actually pitched in the big leagues for the Tigers, but he did show some real flashes in Toledo.
After posting a 3.38 ERA in Triple-A over 35 appearances with 62 strikeouts in 42.2 innings, Poulin was claimed off waivers by the Washington Nationals once Detroit said they were parting ways. Since then, he has been a star out of Washington's bullpen, putting up a 2.78 ERA over 25 appearances and even earning his first career save this weekend with a strikeout of New York Mets superstar Juan Soto.
Poulin has been the exact kind of option this Tigers bullpen has been missing, except he's been doing it for the team he landed with after Detroit decided they don't need his services.
Tigers Bullpen Has Been Horrific Down Stretch of Season
Detroit's group of relievers as a whole ranks in the bottom half of baseball with an ERA of 4.10, and a 4.43 ERA from the staff as a whole since the All-Star break places them outside the top-20 in that period. Morton meanwhile has a 7.09 ERA in his nine starts for the Tigers as Poulin keeps on producing big numbers for the Nationals.
No matter what happens over the course of the next week or next month with regards to the 2025 team, Harris and his staff must take a good look at the way they evaluate pitching talent and bring it into the building. A bullpen solution was right under their nose, and instead he's been making them pay all summer long while wearing a different uniform.
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Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.