One Unexpected Detroit Tigers Trade Could Change Everything at the Deadline
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This time of year is always crazy as players are dealt astronomically, and with hours until the trade deadline, it will only get more hectic. One thing that is important to remember regarding whether teams are buyers or sellers on Monday is that the season is not over.
Most assume that when the Detroit Tigers heartbreakingly moved Tarik Skubal Saturday afternoon to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the front office was waving the white flag on the season; well, that is far from the truth.
After all action across the American League came to a close Sunday afternoon, the Tigers find themselves a measly 2.5 games back of the final wild card spot after pummeling the Athletics this weekend.
Adrian Morejon is the most popular reliever on the trade market, per @BNightengale pic.twitter.com/AxMR81AnTD
— Punchoutpitch (@Punchoutpitch) August 2, 2026
That being said, what can they do in the coming hours? Put a high-leverage arm in the bullpen, and while it might cost them, they need to go after left-hander Adrian Morejon from the San Diego Padres. If the front office adds to their pen, they will be playing in the postseason this year.
Morejon is posting an 8-2 record for a struggling Padres ballclub this year to complement a 3.00 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. But his stock has been rising in the last few weeks as he has been somewhat impossible to put up runs on.
In his last seven appearances, Morejon hasn't allowed a single run, impressively, and has struck out 11 in eight innings. His year didn't start as impressively, but boy oh boy has he been special in the last month.
What Another Arm Does for This Team
If the Tigers' management decides that they are willing to put their necks out a little bit to salvage this season, then there is no way that the office can entertain deals on Casey Mize. With Skubal gone, Mize has to be the No.1 man to complement both Troy Melton and Keider Montero.
This is still a really solid rotation with both Framber Valdez and Jack Flaherty at the tail end, and there is nobody with access to the internet who doesn't know what this offense is capable of as they continue to put up touchdowns on ballclubs.
For example, Detroit just lit up the Athletics on their home field, where they put up 32 runs in a three-game stretch after scoring 23 in the two games prior at Comerica Park, but for whatever reason, that bullpen does not have a go-to in a high-leverage situation.
This was low-lighted in Skubal's final start with the organization, as he left the bump in the 7th inning with a 7-1 lead, but they lost the game. The Tigers have the most losses in either league when leading in the 7th or later; there is clearly one issue that needs fixing.
The AL is somewhat of a dumpster fire regarding the wild card race as .500 teams are few and far between, but Detroit is at the top of this ugly race, and the front office needs to give them a chance and bolster this bullpen.
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Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.