Former Tigers All-Star Pitcher Gets Traded in Early Deadline Deal

The Detroit Tigers picked the worst time to free fall after their incredible first half of the season.

Losers of four in a row and 10 of their last 11, it's become more clear than ever that this front office needs to be aggressive and acquire upgrades for a roster that has started to get exposed during the summer months.

Bullpen seems to be the most important thing right now, with some high-end arms needing to be added to the equation.

More News: Tigers Stumble Through Season Worst Skid with One Win in Last 10 Games

The Tigers could have pursued a reunion with their former All-Star reliever Gregory Soto, but as first reported by Andy Martino of SNY, the left-hander has been traded by the Baltimore Orioles to the New York Mets.

Soto signed with Detroit as an international free agent in 2012, and after years on the farm, he made his Major League debut in 2019.

Starting in 2021, the flamethrower looked like one of the brightest young arms in the game, earning All-Star selections in 2021 and 2022 with ERAs of 3.39 and 3.28, respectively, while appearing in 62 and 64 contests during those seasons.

More News: Tigers' Troy Melton Opens Up About Shaky MLB Debut Against Pirates

But prior to the 2023 campaign, the Tigers shipped him to the Philadelphia Phillies along with Kody Clemens in exchange for outfielder Matt Vierling, infielder Nick Maton and catcher Donny Sands. Only Vierling remains with the organization, as Maton is a free agent and Sands is playing in Mexico.

It's unclear whether Detroit was interested in bringing Soto back or not.

More News: Tigers Star Pitching Prospect Troy Melton Flashed Both Good and Bad in MLB Debut

The Mets gave up two minor league pitchers to get him -- their 19th-ranked prospect Wellington Arecena and Cameron Foster -- which was a pricy cost considering Soto is a rental.

The Tigers should be in the market for more arms, and now that the deadline activity is starting to heat up, they should be making deals to upgrade their bullpen.

For more Tigers news, head over to Tigers On SI.