Is This the Arm That Could Push the Tigers Over the Top?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kristie Ackert | Last updated Jul 10, 2025 11:42 AM ET

The Detroit Tigers are more than likely going to reach the All-Star break with the best record in baseball. They have a double-digit lead in their division.

But that does not mean they can hold pat at the trade deadline.

In a roundup of the best trade fits for every team above .500, ESPN's Jeff Passan listed Pirates closer David Bednar as the ideal addition for Detroit.

The Tigers’ biggest weakness? According to Passan, it’s a reliever with swing-and-miss stuff. That’s a need that’s become more glaring with each close win. Will Vest and Tommy Kahnle have held things together, but neither is the high-octane late-inning option you’d trust to run through a postseason gauntlet.

Bednar might be. After a brutal 2024, he’s bounced back into form, looking more like the dominant force he was from 2021 to 2023. That’s when he ranked among the five best relievers in baseball. He brings a fastball in the upper 90s, a curveball with bite, and a splitter that’s borderline unfair.

Passan also floated Cade Smith and Griffin Jax as better fits on paper, but Detroit landing either would mean an unlikely in-division deal. That makes Bednar the most realistic top-shelf option.

To be clear, the Tigers don’t need a full makeover.

Passan noted that eight of Detroit’s nine regulars have a slugging percentage over .415. A.J. Hinch’s ever-shifting lineups have gone from curious to cohesive. This isn’t just a team with talent, it’s a dangerous one.

And with a deep farm system and a wide-open American League, the Tigers have the pieces and the positioning to make a move.

This move could add some polish to an already sleek and powerful machine.

And Bednar could help shift the Tigers into a higher gear come October.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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