A lot of eyes are on the Detroit Tigers ahead of Thursday's MLB trade deadline. The Motor City hasn't tasted a World Series victory in over 40 years, and adding some reinforcements in the coming days could give the current AL Central leaders their best shot at ending that championship drought before it gets any longer.
Although the Tigers have been one of baseball's best teams all season, there's always room for improvement, especially as far as the bullpen is concerned. World Series contenders are constantly looking to add a veteran arm or two before the deadline, and Detroit might not be an exception after kicking one of its relievers to the curb over the weekend.
Tigers Designated RHP Geoff Hartlieb for Assignment After 2 Games
After electing free agency following his being designated for assignment by the New York Yankees earlier this month, veteran hurler Geoff Hartlieb signed a contract with the Tigers on July 12. He eventually made his Detroit debut just under two weeks later and has played two games since then; however, that's all he's going to get.
On Saturday, CBS Sports reported that the Tigers have DFA'd Hartlieb. He will now spend time on waivers as Detroit potentially seeks out a trade. If nothing materializes, he'll have the option to elect free agency for the third time since the beginning of July. In the meantime, veteran righty Luke Jackson will take Hartlieb's spot on the 40-man roster.
Hartlieb being DFA'd isn't surprising given how pedestrian he looked against the Toronto Blue Jays earlier this week. The 31-year-old reliever gave up two earned runs and a pair of walks against 11 batters in two innings, resulting in a 9.00 ERA. He now sits at a 21.60 ERA between his time with the Tigers and Yankees this season.
Once a reliable reliever for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2020, Hartlieb looks like his best days are long behind him. He's now recorded an ERA of 9.00 or worse in three of the last four seasons, with the lone exception coming when he tallied a mark of 2.25 in 2023. Considering the small sample size, it's fair to say it was an anomaly.
Perhaps a fresh start will help Hartlieb turn things around, but the fact is that he's no longer Detroit's problem. The Tigers can now move forward to replace him with a more consistent arm, whether that belongs to Jackson or an outside name who'll arrive before the trade deadline passes.