These Relievers Are Dream Bullpen Targets for Tigers at Deadline

There aren’t any glaring holes that the Detroit Tigers have just a few weeks out from the MLB trade deadline.

This is as strong of a roster as there is in the sport, with a roster receiving production from everyone who steps on the field.

But even the best teams could use some improvements on the fringes to solidify their standing.

For the Tigers, that would be in the bullpen, where they have a very specific need: someone who generates strikeouts.

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Their relief pitching has been great this year, but they don’t miss many bats. That could cause some hiccups down the line, with batters making contact on 79 percent of their swings against the bullpen.

Here are some players, albeit costly ones, who would be ideal fits in the Detroit bullpen.

Mason Miller, Athletics

A third-round pick in the 2021 MLB draft, Miller took the league by storm in 2024 as a rookie, earning a spot on the All-Star team with his lights-out performance, recording 28 saves with a 14.4 K/9 ratio.

He hasn’t been nearly as dominant this year, recording a 4.63 ERA and issuing 4.6 BB/9, up from 2.49 and 2.9 last year. But, he remains an elite strikeout artist, recording an eye-popping 15.4 K/9.

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It would not come cheap, as he is under team control through 2029, but he fits the bill as to what the Tigers are looking for at the back end of their bullpen.

Felix Bautista, Baltimore Orioles

In the conversation as the best relief pitcher in baseball two years ago, Bautista’s career was derailed by having to undergo Tommy John surgery. He missed the entire 2024 campaign as a result.

The 2025 season has been spent knocking off the rust, with him looking more and more like the old version of himself each time that he takes the mound. Starting to work back-to-back days as well, he is looking healthier and healthier as the year moves along.

Bautista has struck out multiple batters in eight out of his 22 appearances thus far, an impressive showing considering how long he was on the sidelines for.

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David Bednar, Pittsburgh Pirates

From 2021-2023, the Pirates closer was one of the best relief pitchers in baseball. He made the National League All-Star Team twice and was as reliable a late-game hurler as there was in the game.

But, things unraveled in 2024, with Bednar producing a -0.9 bWAR and 5.77 ERA, resulting in him being removed from the closer’s role. More shaky outings followed in 2025, but he has begun to find his footing recently.

A run hasn’t been scored against him since May 23, lowering his ERA to 3.57 on the season. He is a perfect 9-for-9 in save opportunities and has a career-high 13.0 K/9 thus far, looking like his old self and potentially being a major trade chip for Pittsburgh.

Jake Bird, Colorado Rockies

The Rockies are one of the few teams that will certainly be selling ahead of the trade deadline. But, they don’t have many assets to be had, except for Bird, who has emerged as a lights-out relief pitcher.

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Under team control through 2028, he is an ideal trade target for the Tigers, breaking out this season with a 1.41 ERA and 50 strikeouts through 38.1 innings.

He will cost more than the average non-closer on the trade market, but would be worth the price given his productivity he has provided to this point, possessing strong numbers against both left-handed and right-handed hitters.

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