The Detroit Tigers are expected to make a couple of moves to bolster their roster ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline. As top contenders in the American League, the Tigers will seek a right-handed bat and potentially some pitching help to get them over the top and help them chase their first championship since 1984.
While new faces are sure to come to Detroit in the next 24 hours, two have already arrived. Chris Paddack and Randy Dobnak came from the Minnesota Twins in a trade on Monday, and Paddack already made an impact, allowing one run over six innings with five strikeouts in Wednesday’s 7-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The performance raised eyebrows but not as much as what Paddack said about the Tigers and how it compared to his former team after the victory.
Chris Paddack Says Tigers’ Resources Are ‘Amazing’ Compared to Twins
Paddack discussed the trade with reporters after his debut on Wednesday and described the process of coming to Detroit. The 29-year-old admitted that his life “got twisted upside down” after the deal, but has quickly acclimated to the Tigers thanks to the resources they have compared to what he had at the Twins.
“Everybody has been awesome so far,” Paddack said via Evan Petzold of The Detroit Free Press. “These facilities here, all the coaching staff, nutritionists, the kitchen – it’s amazing what they have compared to what we had over at the Twins.”
Chris Paddack on getting traded from the Twins to the #Tigers:
— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) July 30, 2025
"Everybody has been awesome so far. These facilities here, all the coaching staff, nutritionists, the kitchen — it’s amazing what they have compared to what we had over at the Twins." pic.twitter.com/xYKCYFb5sE
The comments feel like something a new player would say when he switches teams in the middle of the season. But it has a different meaning when you take a look at what’s happening in Minnesota.
The Twins are in the middle of an ownership change and are cutting costs to help the deal go through. After ending an 18-game postseason losing streak – the longest in the history of men’s professional sports in North America – two years ago, the Pohlad family opted to cut payroll by $34 million ahead of the 2024 season.
“Right-sizing their business” didn’t affect the Twins right away, but a late-season collapse helped the Tigers overcome a double-digit deficit in the wild card standings and make their first postseason appearance since 2014.
That trend has continued as the Tigers are running away with the American League Central, and the Twins appear to be on the verge of a full-blown fire sale after trading closer Jhoan Duran to the Philadelphia Phillies hours after Paddack made his Detroit debut. Minnesota is also considering trading pending free agents such as Willi Castro, Harrison Bader, and Danny Coulombe ahead of Thursday’s deadline, which could open the door for Detroit to contend beyond 2025.
It’s unlikely the Twins are channeling Rachel Phelps in Major League, shedding costs so they can move the team somewhere warmer. But there is an interesting butterfly effect that helped the Tigers climb to the top of the division.
Perhaps some better food and training facilities will help Paddack trim down the 4.77 ERA he had before coming to the team. But for now, he just appears hungry to help the Tigers win and make a deep push into October.
“I’m just trying to put my head down and contribute and win some ballgames any way I can,” Paddack said. “It was a good one to get that first one out of the way.”