Tigers Can Secure Cheap Rotation Upgrade with Available Cardinals Star

The Detroit Tigers are having a rough stretch right now, dropping now nine of their last 10 games as their lead in the American League Central continues to shrink.

Understandably, much of the blame has been placed upon both the bullpen and the offense. As the trade deadline approaches, many of the rumors have revolved around these areas.

On days that Tarik Skubal is not on the mound though, the Tigers have had trouble getting quality outings from their starting pitchers as both a lack of depth and overall inconsistency have been issues.

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Jack Flaherty has been a roller coaster all year long, and despite a very strong start, Casey Mize now has two ugly starts in a row. Reese Olson has been a breath of fresh air in his return from injury, but that final spot has been a mess as of late.

The most recent experiment was highly rated prospect Troy Melton, who got the start on Wednesday afternoon and showed flashes, but ultimately gave up six runs and earned the loss.

It may not have previously been as high on the list of needs for Detroit, however this is a team right now who could use another back of the rotation arm to at least stabilize things desperately.

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Trading for an ace is likely not in the cards, though that does not mean a move cannot be made to help things there. It just so happens that one may have fallen in their lap.

Around the same time Melton was getting knocked around in his MLB debut, the St. Louis Cardinals made headlines by designating right-handed veteran Erick Fedde for assignment. Fedde has struggled this year, especially over the last month, but he is just one year removed from the best season of his career.

The overall 5.22 ERA over 20 starts is not horrific, but the 13.25 ERA in his last five starts certainly is.

It makes sense why the Cardinals parted ways and it was likely best for both parties. Could it simply be a mechanical issue though?

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In 2024, Fedde had a 3.30 ERA and a bWAR of 5.6. At just 32 years old, he did not simply forget how to pitch.

If anyone can figure out how to unlock the right-hander, it's Tigers pitching coach Chris Fetter.

Fedde is not going to simply go back immediately to the kind of star he was last year, however he absolutely is capable of providing some depth and giving a team decent starts down the stretch.

And for virtually zero risk, it makes a ton of sense to take the small chance on him.

When Fedde is looking for a new team here shortly, there is no reason why Detroit should not be very involved.

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