Tigers Receive Solid Grades After Trading For Twins' Chris Paddack
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The Detroit Tigers made their first move ahead of the MLB trade deadline and it was a surprising one.
Not because of what they acquired, as starting pitching depth was needed after announcing Reese Olson was going to be sidelined for the remainder of the season. The team was already without Jackson Jobe, who underwent Tommy John surgery earlier in the campaign.
What was surprising was who the trade was made with.
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The Tigers completed a deal with their American League Central rivals, the Minnesota Twins, acquiring starting pitcher Chris Paddock in exchagne for minor league catcher Enrique Jimenez.
Overall production for the veteran right-hander isn’t great, owning a 4.95 ERA across 111 innings with only 83 strikeouts.
But, he is showcasing an increase in velocity, moving further away from his second Tommy John surgery he underwent in 2022. He also possesses pinpoint accuracy and control with his entire repertoire, providing some stability as a back-end innings eater.
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This isn’t a blockbuster acquisition by any means, but he will help settle the end of the rotation that was going through Keider Montero, Dietrich Enns and Troy Melton behind Tarik Skubal, Jack Flahety and Casey Mize.
Reliability is something Paddack can provide, proving he is healthy this year making all of his scheduled starts to this point.
It is a deal that won’t create many headlines, but both teams likely come away feeling good about.
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Over at The Athletic (subscription required), Detroit received solid marks from several analysts for addressing a need and not having to give up too much in return, since Paddack is a rental.
Stephen Nesbitt and Sam Blum both gave the Tigers a solid grade of “B” for acquiring the veteran right-hander.
There are some concerns if his addition is enough for a rotation that has been hit hard by injuries, as he could be called upon to start a postseason game.
His ability to cover innings is something both analysts mentioned as a positive; at the very least, Paddack will help get the team to the finish line before the playoffs.
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Chad Jennings wasn’t as positive about the acquisition, giving this deal a “C+” for Detroit.
“He’s a bit of rotation depth for a team that needed it. And if taking on the last year of Dobnak’s deal made the prospect cost a little lower, so be it. It’s fine,” Jennings wrote.
The sentiment all three analyst shared is that this feels like the first of multiple moves Detroit could be making.
If Paddack ends up being the only addition, then the move would be graded more harshly.
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.