Famously, mid-August of 2024, the Tigers’ odds of making the postseason were .02 percent, according to FanGraphs. Then an improbable 30-11 run landed Detroit in the playoffs.
The same website lists the Tigers' chances of making the postseason in 2025 at 99.8 percent. Unreal.
The Tigers aren’t going to be sellers this trade deadline, that’s for sure, although you have to admit it worked like a charm last year. It’s uncertain, though, how deep into their prospect pool the Tigers will go.
Will president of baseball operations Scott Harris be like David Dombrowski, who annually and unabashedly traded the best talent from the Tigers’ minor league system in an attempt to win it all immediately, or be more conservative with the blue chips?
The Tigers have the best record in MLB by three games, and are dominating the American League. The Yankees are sputtering, the Guardians in a tailspin and the Orioles beached. The Red Sox, Mariners and Rangers are trying to keep their collective heads above water.
The Blue Jays and Astros are surging, but the former tends to be a perennially roller coaster-like entity, while the latter was beaten by the Tigers in the postseason last fall when they featured since-departed stars Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman.
Even factoring in the National League, the Tigers look undeniably good. While the Dodgers have more firepower than the Pentagon, their pitching has been suspect. That is changing. Shohei Ohtani is being eased back onto the mound after Tommy John, Clayton Kershaw has returned in reasonably good form and big-money hurlers Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Blake Treinen will likely return soon.
Still, there have been enough cracks exposed in the Dodgers’ $338 million armor to suggest that, while obviously the prohibitive favorite, they aren’t unbeatable, either.
It seems simple, right? The Tigers should add, add and then add some more at the trade deadline.
Even with a young core and growing organizational strength, the Tigers may not have another opportunity like this for eons, especially considering ace pitcher Tarik Skubal’s uncertain contract status beyond 2026.
Unfortunately, it’s not that elementary. Because when you add at the trade deadline, you also must subtract. It’s not just prospects surrendered. The Tigers have the prospect depth to easily do that. It’s taking away spots for those players who have brought the Tigers to the dance.
To give themselves the best opportunity to win the World Series, the Tigers must add relief pitching.
Will Vest throws hard, has command of the zone and is a solid leverage reliever. Tommy Kahnle is a proven commodity. Last season with the Yankees, he threw seven shutout innings in six games in the ALDS and ALCS before being lit up by the Dodgers in the World Series. He has a 3.00 ERA in nine postseason series during his career with a WHIP of 1.03.
Lefties Tyler Holton and Brant Hurter have had their ups and downs in 2025, but it’s relative to how good the Tigers are overall. After that, it’s not a deep bullpen, although obviously at least one starter could work in relief in the playoffs.
Two trade targets that standout for the Tigers are Washington’s Kyle Finnegan and Pittsburgh’s David Bednar, bonafide high-leverage performers with electric fastballs. They also need another lefty.
Based on the play of Javy Baez and Zach McKinstry, the Tigers should be fine at short. Theoretically, the Tigers should also be OK at third. Colt Keith has broken loose as a hitter, but his glove and arm are untested there, while McKinstry is a much better shortstop than third baseman.
The fascination is with power. The name Eugenio Suarez is often mentioned in connection with the Tigers, although his availability depends on whether the Diamondbacks remain in the wild card race. It’s true. That power could mean a lot, but you aren’t going to platoon a player like Suarez. That would mean less at bats for Keith and/or McKinstry. As importantly, Suarez is a defensive liability.
The Tigers, in regard to putting together the pieces to the puzzle, might be wiser going for a defense-first third baseman, like the Pirates’ Isiah Kiner-Falefa or Baltimore’s Ramon Urias, both Gold Glove Award winners and right-handed hitters. They are having respectable seasons offensively. Either would be an ideal defensive replacement in close postseason games.
The Tigers have arguably MLB’s top starting pitcher, Tarik Skubal, leading the rotation. Jack Flaherty was signed back to be the No. 2, and he threw well in Tuesday’s win over Tampa Bay. Yet, Casey Mize has been more effective than Flaherty overall. From one of those two, the Tigers should be good at the top of the rotation, and that would be a solid 1-2-3. But starting pitching is fickle, both in terms of performance and injury. Pitching in general feels that way. It’s like you can never get enough.
Dombrowski’s tenure with the Tigers displayed how deadline deals can both pay off or disappoint, and as if on a whim. One year he picked up left-handed pitcher Jarrod Washburn and hitter Aubury Huff when they were really rolling. They were both awful with Detroit.
Another year, this town rolled its collective eyes when Delmon Young was acquired in August after clearing waivers (that can no longer happen). He keyed the Tigers getting to the World Series, ousting the Yankees in the process.
Harris has used the word “pragmatic” to describe his approach to the trade deadline. Pragmatic is the perfect word to describe what added pitching, especially in the bullpen would mean. Not just analytical finds, but proven high-leverage leverage arms.
It likely could mean the difference in fulfilling a realistic World Series championship shot for the 2025 Tigers.