The Tigers have added another arm to their bullpen ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, but he won't help them right away.
Detroit has acquired right-handed reliever Paul Sewald from the Guardians in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations. The 35-year-old Sewald is on the 15-day injured list after being diagnosed with a shoulder strain over the All-Star break and doesn't appear close to a return. He also missed two months due to the same injury earlier this season.
Prior to his latest IL sint, Sewald had a 4.70 ERA in 18 games this year, with 18 strikeouts to four walks in 15 1/3 innings. His last appearance came on July 11. He has an ERA of 4.11 over his nine-year career. HIs best stretch came from 2021-23 when he posted a 2.95 ERA with the Mariners and Diamondbacks.
Sewald does have a track record of missing bats, which is something the Tigers need. Their bullpen ranks last in the majors in whiff rate and chase rate and last in the American League in strikeout rate. Sewald ranks 21st among MLB relievers (minimum 125 appearances) in strikeout rate over the last three seasons.
Among relievers with at least 250 appearances since the start of 2021, he's fifth in WHIP, sixth in batting average against and seventh in strikeout rate.
Sewald is on a one-year, $7 million deal, with a mutual $10 million option for 2026 that comes with a $1 million buyout.
The Tigers' bullpen has a 4.16 ERA this season, 20th in the majors, but it's ballooned to 4.99 since June and 5.68 in July. Detroit swung another minor deal Wednesday night for reliever Rafael Montero.