The Detroit Tigers didn’t do as much as people expected at the trade deadline, but they were still able to get some starting pitching. A pair of deals ahead of the deadline helped Detroit acquire Charlie Morton and Chris Paddack, and the duo should help Detroit form a deeper rotation along with Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize, and Jack Flaherty.
But while the Tigers are busy celebrating a recent sweep of the Houston Astros, one of their new additions can’t be trusted and could cost them a critical game either down the stretch or once they get into the postseason.
New Tigers P Chris Paddack Will Show His True Colors Down the Stretch
The Tigers acquired Paddack in a trade with the Minnesota Twins at the deadline, and it looked like a solid acquisition to add to Detroit’s depth. Paddack’s overall stats of 3-9 and a 4.95 ERA in 21 starts for the Twins don’t look great, but he showed signs of being a functional starter, going 3-6 with a 3.93 ERA in 17 starts between April 6 and July 4.
But things have gotten ugly in his last seven starts. Paddack has a 1-4 record and a 6.27 ERA, but hitters are taking him deep more frequently, with 10 home runs allowed in his past 37.1 innings. Part of that is facing his former team, as the Twins hung 12 earned runs on Paddack in 9.2 innings in starts on Aug. 5 and 17. But Paddack has also performed well, holding the Arizona Diamondbacks (July 30) and Chicago White Sox (Aug. 11) in his other two starts with Detroit.
So where’s the cause for concern? It’s his Baseball Savant page. While Paddack has a strong 31.7% chase rate and 5.6% walk rate, he’s failed to limit hard contact with an average exit velocity of 90.4 mph and a hard-hit rate (balls with exit velocity over 95mph) of 44.9%. A 36.7% ground ball rate plays better at spacious Comerica Park but he’s had issues missing bats in the zone with a 20.5% whiff rate and 17.2% strikeout rate.
With Alex Cobb still working his way back from injury and starters Jackson Jobe and Reese Olson out for the season, Paddack was a cheap stopgap that didn’t require giving up any top prospects. But the Tigers may find out they get what they paid for.