Detroit Tigers Ship Off Right-Handed Pitcher to Tampa Bay Rays Via Trade

The Detroit Tigers have completed a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, shipping off one of their critical right-handers for a valuable catching prospect.

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Alex Faedo throws pitch against the San Francisco Giants during first inning at Oracle Park. | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers have completed a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays in which they have traded right-handed pitcher Alex Faedo for catching prospect Enderson Delgado and cash, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.

Faedo has been growing in his role with the Tigers as a spot-starter and a long reliever in his first three seasons, and in 2024 had arguably his best showing.

In 57.1 innings pitched he had a 3.61 ERA, 1.343 WHIP, 55 strikeouts and 28 walks. He started a career-low six games as opposed to 12 each of his last two years. His difficulty has been with injuries, with a few stacking up including a shoulder strain most recently.

Ultimately, this is a move for the future.

Detroit moved off of a pitcher who was designated for assignment to get back an up-and-coming prospect from the Rays. Delgado was ranked as the 37th-best prospect in Tampa Bay's farm system by Fangraphs about halfway through the 2024 season, and has continued to improve as he currently works at the Single-A level.

Delgado is 20 years old and has produced at a solid level.

In 202, he had a .255/.382/.773 slash line with four home runs and 21 RBI.

This type of production is intriguing, and makes him the type of prospect worth taking a flyer on in a deal like this.

With the Tigers looking somewhat towards the future while still trying to remain competitive and balance their assets between development and current talent, this deal makes sense for the timeline they have begun to distinguish.