Tigers Made One Real Offseason Trade. It's Coming Back to Haunt Them.
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In reality, the Detroit Tigers were very quiet regarding trades during the offseason. They made only one meaningful trade with the Toronto Blue Jays. It was simple: right-handed reliever Chase Lee was traded for a minor league left-hander, Johan Simon.
The only other trade they made was with the Tampa Bay Rays involving Justyn-Henry Malloy for cash considerations.
Now Detroit sits at 25-38 after a disastrous 6-22 May, having blown 14 save opportunities before the month of June started. The bullpen is overworked and underperforming. Taking a look back at the Lee-for-Simon trade is worthwhile.
What Detroit Gave Away
When the trade occurred, no one really thought much of it; just a simple roster move. Chase Lee wasn’t a star, so it wasn’t like the Tigers were really giving up a high-leverage pitcher. What he was, though, was a reliable, middle reliever who could eat innings and not cause destruction in the process.
Lee was solid as a rookie for Detroit. He earned a record of 4-1 with a modest 4.10 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. He forced 36 strikeouts over 37.1 innings.
The simple trade was made in December to make room on the 40-man roster for newly signed Drew Anderson. Everything seemed right at the time. Now...well, it feels questionable.
What Toronto Did With Lee
The Blue Jays have had an interesting go with Lee. He’s been bounced back and forth between MLB and Triple-A. Lee started the season in Triple-A, then got a call-up on April 27 when he appeared in one game. He gave up a home run and pitched 1.1 innings. Back to Triple-A the next day.
He was recalled again on May 19 when he threw .1 innings against the Yankees. It was not a good outing. He gave up two walks and didn’t record an out. He was sent back to Buffalo again. His third, and what has been his final appearance so far, was May 24 against Pittsburgh. This time, he went for 1.2 innings, two walks, and another home run. Just four days later, he was back in Buffalo.
Sure, his numbers don’t look good, but the guy hasn’t been given the chance to settle in. He has made three appearances with 3.1 innings pitched in total. His aggregate numbers aren’t great. Giving up two home runs and four walks against just one strikeout isn’t what anyone is looking for.
Add to those stats the fact that he is carrying an 8.10 ERA, and it isn’t enticing.
When settled in at Triple-A Buffalo, he has a 2.01 ERA across 17 appearances, 22.1 innings pitched. He has 24 strikeouts against just 10 walks. The guys needs a chance to take a breath in the MLB with the Blue Jays instead of playing yo-yo between Buffalo and Toronto.
What Detroit Got Back
The 24-year-old Dominican, Johan Simon, played in three levels of the minors last season and posted a 3.42 ERA.
The Tigers were making a roster move and thought a guy who had a 94 mph fastball and ground ball tendencies could be molded and shaped into upside for the team.
The numbers just don't show the upside right now. Simon is at Double-A Erie, where he has a 6.30 ERA across 15 appearances. He has pitched 20 innings and walked 17. That’s an alarming rate. Truth is, he is nowhere near helping this team, which is in dire need of bullpen replacements.
The Painful Reality
Numbers don’t lie, right? Certainly not for the Tigers. The bullpen has been historically bad in 2026. They recorded 14 blown saves before the calendar turned over to June.
Injuries have plagued the team. Brant Hurter, Burch Smith, Kenley Jansen, Ty Madden - shall we keep going? Then there’s Will Vest who has posted a 7.41 ERA and Ricky Vanasco’s 15.63.
The truth is the bullpen has been the primary downfall of a team that boasts the likes of two-time Cy Young-winning Tarik Skubal, Riley Greene, and Framber Valdez in their rotation. This was supposed to be a team with lethal pitching, and they are now sitting fourth in the AL Central, 11 games back and struggling to find ground.
No, Chase Lee wouldn’t have been the answer for the organization. He could have reliably eaten up innings and not completely lost his composure in the seventh inning. For a team with 14 blown saves, this would have been welcomed.
Hindsight is always 20-20, right? What is true now may not have been true then, but unfortunately, Detroit traded away a guy who could have been a contributing reliever for a Double-A prospect that isn’t performing.
The Final Verdict
No, this trade won’t define this team, not now, not ever. The facts remain, Lee isn’t a superstar and Simon could develop into a useful pitcher as time goes on. Looking back though, trading a proven MLB reliever for a minor leaguer who isn’t developing was a mistake.
The Tigers chose free agency to build their bullpen and now that injuries have riddled the squad, there isn’t enough depth to absorb the substantial losses.
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Laura Lambert resides in Wiggins, Colo. with her husband, Ricky and two sons, Brayden and Boedy. She attended the University of Northern Colorado while studying economics. She is an accomplished rodeo athlete and barrel horse trainer along with being a life-long sports fan. Over the years, Laura has been active in journalism in a variety of roles. While continuing to cover western sports and country music, she is currently enjoying expanding her reach into multiple sports including MLB, NFL, and WNBA. Laura covers the Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies, Toronto Blue Jays, and Rodeo for On SI. You can reach her at lauralambertmedia@gmail.com