Tigers Skipper Explains His Strategy for Late-Game Bullpen Decisions
In this story:
The Detroit Tigers needed to bolster their bullpen ahead of the trade deadline this year, and they did exactly that when they acquired Kyle Finnegan from the Washington Nationals, adding a proven closer who can step right into that role with his new team.
Because their relief staff was so important during last year's incredible playoff run, it was imperative that the Tigers found some more shutdown guys for the stretch run of this season after that unit showed some cracks in the foundation.
With Finnegan in the mix, manager A.J. Hinch now has two shutdown backend guys he can turn to in high-leverage situations, deploying one before the ninth inning without losing someone who can close out a game for them.
But how the skipper chooses to deploy both Finnegan and Will Vest will be interesting to see.
A.J. Hinch Reveals His Bullpen Strategy
While he is going to keep some things close to the vest when it comes to how he wants to operate, he did share an interesting bit of information with Chris McCosky of The Detroit News (subscription required).
"It could be matchups against a specific hitter," Hinch said. "I talk about getting the first hitter right a lot. And I'm not saying we always get it right. But we try to put guys in position where their first hitter is a good matchup."
That makes obvious sense. The success rate of getting out of an inning unscathed is much higher when the pitcher records an out against the first batter they face. So putting them in a position where they have an advantage to make that happen is a good course of action.
But when it comes to deciding when and where to utilize Finnegan or Vest, that is something that will likely be a work in progress considering both are right-handers who have virtually the same profile; hard fastball throwers with similar effectiveness against both righty and lefty batters.
another day, another Will Vest save 🤝
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) August 13, 2025
Save energy at home with these tips: https://t.co/fSq72jA8sq pic.twitter.com/P9axeMc7yX
Since coming over, Finnegan has been lights out for Detroit, not allowing a single run with just one hit in 6 2/3 innings of work across six appearances. He's also a perfect 3-for-3 in save opportunities, which is exactly what the Tigers envisioned when they acquired him.
As for Vest, he's in the midst of the best season of his career, owning a 2.61 ERA across 49 appearances with 58 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings pitched with a 1.05 WHIP. While he's gone 18-for-23 in save opportunities this year, he's a trusted part of the bullpen and will be used as such going forward.
Having multiple shutdown bullpen arms who are capable of closing out games is never a bad thing for contending teams, especially when a manager like Hinch is at the helm who loves being creative with his options.
