The Detroit Tigers have gotten off to a great start this season but if they want to contend in the American League, they might consider adding pitching ahead of the MLB trade deadline.
Tigers starters rank third in MLB with a 3.09 ERA this season and Tarik Skubal is leading the way with a bid for a second straight American League Cy Young Award. But the Tigers also have plenty of questions moving forward, as Reese Olson is on the injured list with right ring finger inflammation, and Jackson Jobe prepared to undergo Tommy John surgery.
With two starters out for the foreseeable future, the Tigers may need reinforcements. Lucky for them, there’s a pitcher for a National League contender that is attempting to force his way out in the coming weeks.
Tigers Should Consider Trading for Brewers Pitcher Aaron Civale
According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon, Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Aaron Civale has asked to be traded after being moved to the bullpen this week. Civale owns a 1-2 record and a 4.91 ERA in five starts this season and was bumped from the rotation to make room for top pitching prospect Jacob Misiorowski, who will make his major league debut against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night.
Civale arrived in Milwaukee as part of a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays last summer and went 6-3 with a 3.53 ERA down the stretch to help the Brewers win the National League Central division. This season’s performance has been hampered by a strained left hamstring, but he’s posted a 3.32 ERA in his past four starts since returning on May 22.
The Brewers have an embarrassment of riches in the starting rotation with Freddy Peralta, Chad Patrick, Quinn Priester, and José Quintana currently in the rotation. Civale, Logan Henderson, and the rehabbing duo of Nestor Cortes and Brandon Woodruff are waiting in the wings. While Misiorowski earned his debut by going 4-2 with a 2.13 ERA at Triple-A Nashville, Civale believes he didn’t pitch his way out of the team’s rotation.
This could play into the Tigers’ plans at the trade deadline. Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris told Christian Romo of The Detroit Free Press that he is “preparing to add to this team” at the July 31 deadline, and while Detroit could use a right-handed bat, it could also use another starting pitcher as a layer of protection moving forward.
The Tigers also have Alex Cobb on a rehab assignment from a hip injury, and general manager Jeff Greenberg recently said that he was “cautiously optimistic” that they will get Olson back “sooner rather than later” ahead of his bullpen session on Wednesday.
Regardless, Civale could be the first name on Detroit’s radar as they look to add a piece that can help them reach the postseason for the second straight year.