A much-maligned bullpen is getting a lift in Detroit.
The Tigers are acquiring closer Kyle Finnegan from the Nationals in exchange for pitching prospects Josh Randall and RJ Sales. An All-Star last year who ranks third in the majors with 86 saves over the last three seasons, Finnegan has a 4.38 ERA in 40 games this season, with 32 strikeouts to 14 walks in 39 innings.
Finnegan's overall numbers this year are skewed by a few bad outings this month. He had a 2.36 ERA and a .213 batting average against as of July 10, but has allowed 10 earned runs and a .435 batting average in 4 2/3 innings since.
His peripheral numbers on the season are more encouraging, including an expected ERA of 3.51. He's a hard-throwing right-hander who gets a high rate of swings and misses with his splitter. A six-year vet, Finnegan has a career ERA of 3.66 with about a strikeout per inning.
The Tigers' bullpen has a 4.16 ERA this season, 20th in the majors, but that number has ballooned to 4.99 since June and 5.68 in July. Before acquiring Finnegan, Detroit swung two smaller deals for relievers Rafael Montero from the Braves and Paul Sewald from the Guardians.
Finnegan, 33, is on an expiring one-year, $6 million contract.
Randall and Sales, both 22-year-old right-handers, were both drafted by the Tigers last year.
Randall, a third-rounder, was Detroit's No. 15 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. He has a 3.92 ERA in 17 starts this season and was recently promoted to High-A West Michigan. Sales, a 10th-rounder, did not rank among the Tigers' top-30 prospects. He has a 2.71 ERA in 16 games with Low-A Lakeland.