After being a virtual lock to win the American League Central at the beginning of the month, the Detroit Tigers’ season is coming down to the final five games. The Tigers are in the middle of a shocking collapse, losing 19 of their past 27 games including a 5-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday night.
With an 11.5-game lead evaporating in the course of a month, Tigers fans are left to wonder what happened to the team that surged to the top of the American League this summer. As the possibility of spending October on their couch grows, the main source of angst should be directed at the front office’s lack of execution at July’s trade deadline.
Tigers Turned a Potential Ring Into a Glass Ceiling at MLB Trade Deadline
Think back to how much fun Detroit fans were having at the beginning of July. The Tigers ran their lead up to 14 games with a 5-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on July 7 and at that moment, fans had visions of going all-in.
The Tigers had an ace in Tarik Skubal. They had a top-tier offense. All they needed was a piece like Eugenio Suarez to help the lineup or Jhoan Duran to help the bullpen. Their starting rotation could have used a lift from an arm like Shane Bieber and with the top farm system in baseball, the Tigers had the prospect capital to make a big move.
With Skubal’s pending free agency (and likely a $400 million contract looming), this felt like the time to push the chips to the middle of the table. Instead, Detroit made modest moves, citing that this was the beginning of a sustained run of success.
Scott Harris' take is somewhat accurate that the goal is to reach the postseason and give your team a shot. But when your team has an overwhelming advantage like the Tigers did, it’s best to go up to the top rung and try to grab the brass ring.
Take a look at a team like the Baltimore Orioles, who believed their arrow was pointing straight up with a young core and back-to-back playoff appearances but limped to a 74-83 record this season. After firing manager Brandon Hyde, the Orioles window seems to be suddenly slammed shut with catcher Adley Rutschman rumored to be one of MLB’s most likely to be traded this season.
The lesson? Things can change quickly and instead of the Tigers climbing to the top of the ladder to go for the ring, they created their own glass ceiling with a series of bad moves.
Tigers Paying the Price for Not Going All In at MLB Trade Deadline
The Tigers tried to bolster the starting rotation by acquiring Chris Paddack from the Minnesota Twins and Charlie Morton from the Orioles but neither move has panned out. Paddack has posted a 6.12 ERA in 42.2 innings since coming to Detroit and has since been moved to the bullpen. Morton was even worse, posting a 7.09 ERA before being designated for assignment on Sunday.
The Tigers’ bullpen moves worked a little better as Kyle Finnegan (1.15 ERA in 14 appearances) and Rafael Montero (3.05 ERA in 18 appearances) have been solid since coming to Detroit. But it doesn’t excuse the fact that the Tigers didn’t add a single bat to add more depth to their offense.
As of Aug. 1, Detroit ranked fifth in baseball with 536 runs scored. Since then, Detroit ranks 17th with 213 runs scored. Players such as Javier Báez (.218/.229/.317, 0 HR, 6 RBI since Aug. 1), Gleyber Torres (.224/.340/.345, 5 HR, 24 RBI), and Riley Greene (.222/.292/.427, 9 HR, 26 RBI) have gone in the tank and the Tigers are holding on for dear life as the end of the regular season nears.
Even worse? The teams that did make the moves are reaping the benefits. Suarez has the Seattle Mariners on the verge of their first division title since 2001. Duran solidified the Philadelphia Phillies’ bullpen to help them win their second straight division title. The San Diego Padres clinched a playoff spot after going all-in for flamethrower Mason Miller and the Blue Jays leaped the Tigers in the standings after getting Bieber from the Guardians.
A lot of this comes with some hindsight. But it’s clear that Greenberg, Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris and the rest of the front office assumed this team would waltz into the postseason with little resistance. Instead, they ignored some of the warning signs and their poor execution at the trade deadline may have them watching the postseason from home.