Bullpen Surprisingly Named Area Tigers Could Look to Upgrade at Trade Deadline
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It has been a fantastic start to the season for the Detroit Tigers, who have one of the best records in baseball and are looking to prove that they are a true contender going forward.
After being a bit unbalanced last year on their way toward winning the American League Wild Card Round, the Tigers appear to be one of the best in the league in multiple facets of the game now.
Similarly to last campaign, Detroit has been leaning on their pitching staff to propel them to success. The starting rotation led by the reigning AL Cy Young Tarik Skubal has been much-improved after reuniting with Jack Flaherty in free agency.
Furthermore, some of the young pitchers, like Jackson Jobe and Casey Mize, are pitching very well, also.
In the bullpen, Detroit has one of the best units in the league, building off the momentum that they started at the end of last year. Adding Tommy Kahnle during the winter has help further solidify the group, with the veteran right-hander leading them in saves.
Even though they are off to a great start, the Tigers will likely be buyers at the trade deadline as they look to improve.
What Position Should the Detroit Tigers Look to Upgrade?
Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the Tigers being buyers at the trade deadline and looking to build upon what has been a strength of the team so far this season.
“The Tigers rank third in the majors with a 2.91 ERA from their relief corps, so the bullpen is far from a weakness. But given the way manager A.J. Hinch deploys his pitching staff, they could always use another quality arm.”
Seeing the bullpen mentioned as the area that Detroit might look to upgrade is a bit surprising, but does make sense.
In the postseason, good relief pitching is critical to success. Even though the Los Angeles Dodgers didn’t have the best starting rotation last campaign, they were able to piece together games with a strong bullpen and find ways to win.
Furthermore, a lot of the success that the Tigers had in the playoffs was using a similar strategy.
In games that Skubal didn’t pitch, manager A.J. Hinch used his bullpen magnificently to neutralize opposing lineups.
Even though this is one of the best units in the league, building on a strength is never a bad thing.
While it has been Kahnle closing out games for the most part, potentially adding another closer into the mix, who would be willing to pitch in situational spots and buy-in would be a great addition.
As one of the best teams in the league, Detroit must continue to get better with the window of opportunity in the AL wide open.
Nick Ziegler is an alumnus of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting. He has been working in sports media covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL for nearly a decade with various publications online. With his free time, Nick enjoys being at the Jersey Shore with his wife, daughter, and their golden retriever. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @NickZiegler20.