As Riley Greene took questions Tuesday night about his mystical mustache, newcomer Chris Paddack walked out of the Tigers' clubhouse rocking a cowboy hat, cowboy boots and a mustache of his own. He walked off the mound the next afternoon in his signature stirrups and was greeted with hugs and high-fives after pitching six sharp innings in Detroit's fourth straight win. Asked later about his chemistry with catcher Jake Rogers, Paddack smiled and said, "It must have been the mustaches. I've heard they're magic."
On Monday afternoon, Paddack was in the Twins clubhouse at Target Field when he got word from his agent that a trade to the Tigers was in the works. Just as he was headed to the field to play catch, the Twins told him that the deal was done. At that, Paddack had to call Scott Harris and the Tigers to ensure that he could proceed with his workout in Minnesota -- to literally ask if he was allowed to play catch -- "because now they're responsible." The Tigers gave him the green light and Paddack said to the Twins bullpen catcher, with whom he was tight, "One last time."
"Played catch, did my stuff, said bye to all the guys, packed up my house in three hours, got my Bass boat and truck ready to be shipped out and came in (Tuesday) morning," he said.
After four years with the Twins, Paddack's "life got twisted upside-down in a matter of 24 hours," he said. So did his standing in the AL Central, from fourth to first. Paddack likes his new digs. The home clubhouse at Comerica Park, modernized a couple years ago as part of the Tigers' commitment to player development, was a welcome surprise: "The facilities here, the coaching staff, the nutritionists, the kitchen, it's amazing what they have here compared to what we had over at the Twins."
Maybe Paddack should have expected as much. He's admired the Tigers since they sold at the deadline last summer, promoted a few prospects and proceeded to make a historic run to the playoffs at the expense of his former team.
"I think it all started for me last year when they took our spot over there when I was with the Twins," Paddack said. "They made some trades at the deadline and then you get some young, hungry guys and they start winning some games, and it just happened so fast. It was cool to see. I remember watching their playoff games and it was just like, man, that energy, that clubhouse, it looks fun, it looks exciting. I want to be a part of that. Excited that I got the opportunity."
Paddack's final start with the Twins was one of his best this year: six innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts and no walks against the Dodgers. In his pregame meeting Wednesday morning with Rogers, Paddack told his new catcher that his two biggest principles are to "attack and be fearless." Then he threw first-pitch strikes to the first nine batters he faced against Arizona, and 17 of 20 on the afternoon. Pitching in the zone is an obvious emphasis for the Tigers, and "one of my strengths," said Paddack.
"When you make a statement to a team that swings the bat, you're just in control. You're able to get out of the zone with two strikes, get them in swing mode, and that's where you're able to go into the sixth, seventh inning and save the bullpen for an upcoming series. Low pitch count, quality innings, I think that's been a big factor in my career. Guys know that I throw strikes, and I'll never shy away from that," Paddack said.
Paddack used all six of his pitches Wednesday, and threw just 84 of them while holding Arizona to one run on three hits in six innings. He struck out five and walked none. He also benefited from some good fortune on a number of hard-hit balls. He doesn't have dominant stuff, and doesn't miss many bats. The Twins didn't trade away a frontline starter. The Tigers didn't acquire one.
Paddack, 29, was a depth add for the Tigers after they lost Reese Olson for the rest of the season. He has an ERA close to 5.00 over the last six years, but perhaps Chris Fetter and Detroit's advanced pitching department can maximize an arm that once placed Paddack among the top prospects in baseball. More likely, Paddack will be a stabilizer in the back of the Tigers' rotation down the stretch.
"But you keep putting zeroes up," said A.J. Hinch, "you're gonna find that people are gonna let you do you. I know it matters to him. That was one of the things he said to me in my office, is how much he cares."
A Texas native, Paddack is an unlikely fit in Detroit. The Tigers' clubhouse is full of players from similar places on the map, with similar interests. Paddack, who says he's "strictly a bass fisherman," has already been directed by his teammates to Lake St. Clair. The facial hair and flowing locks have long been part of his look. Paddack happened to join the Tigers just as they turned Greene's mustache into a team talisman.
"I've been rocking the stache and mullet for quite some time now," Paddack said. "Then I come here and I'm like, damn, these are all my brothers!'"
Paddack is already looking forward to his next start, eager to build off the last two. Maybe they'll be a blip in another ordinary season; maybe they'll be the start of something bigger. As emotional as it was saying his goodbyes in Minnesota, "it's really an honor to be part of this clubhouse and be part of a team that wants to go win it all," he said.
Paddack says that with a rod in hand, "a bad day on the water beats a good day at work." He might have to reconsider, with the ball in his hand in Detroit.
