Detroit Tigers Pitching Losses Aside, They Still Need Bats at Trade Deadline

The Detroit Tigers have been among the best teams in baseball this year, and it hasn’t all been about Tarik Skubal.

Sure, the reigning American League Cy Young award winner is putting together another season that could lead him to becoming a back-to-back winner. But the Tigers still need runs, and Detroit has been unexpectedly potent at the plate.

Outfielder Riley Greene is having an All-Star caliber season. Catcher Dillon Dingler is putting together a campaign that could lead him to being named an All-Star as well.

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Two players that were nearly left for dead after last season have surged back into prominence. Spencer Torkelson leads the Tigers in home runs this season. Javier Baez — the team’s highest-paid player — has transitioned to center field and has put together a terrific season at the plate after a couple of awful seasons.

Yet, the Tigers may need more to not only lock down the American League Central title but make a World Series run as well.

The Athletic (subscription required) recently wrote about trade deadline urgencies at three key positions — bats, relief pitching and starting rotation. The Tigers made the list, not surprisingly, at bats, where they were ranked No. 5 behind the San Francisco Giants, the Kansas City Royals, the Texas Rangers and the Cleveland Guardians.

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The returns of Torkelson and Baez to high producing offensive players makes the need less urgent. The Athletic also pointed out that only the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are scoring more runs than Detroit.

The writers of the article made the point that the urgency for offense in Detroit isn’t as much about trying to win the division but trying to contend for a World Series. The Tigers could be looking for an offensive player that would put them over the top.

The focus could be at shortstop. Baez is a shortstop by trade, but he’s moved into the outfield because the Tigers have dealt with injuries at the position. Once Detroit gets Matt Vierling back, Baez could simply return to shortstop and replace Trey Sweeney, who has struggled offensively this season.

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The Tigers are in the bottom five in offensive production at shortstop this season. If they’re looking to level up at a position, that could be the one. Detroit could do it with Baez or an outside source. That hinges on Vierling.

Detroit likely isn’t going to make a move before the deadline, as the urgency isn’t as acute as it is for some of the other teams listed. But, come late July, the Tigers may need to make a move.

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