Tigers Could Dramatically Upgrade Their Starting Rotation With This Trade

The Detroit Tigers got Reese Olson back in their rotation on Friday.

That is a huge boost to a unit that has started to flounder a bit behind Tarik Skubal, with injuries and poor play beginning to mount.

When looking at potential playoff matchups, not having an elite starting unit might not be a detriment like it would be for other teams considering how well A.J. Hinch utilized his bullpen last October. However, if the Tigers are going to win a World Series, they need at least one other starting arm they can count on outside of Skubal.

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Detroit thought they were getting that when they signed Jack Flaherty, but his recent struggles have made things questionable when it comes to how he might look in the playoffs.

Because of that, starting pitchers could be on the wish list for Scott Harris ahead of the deadline.

And if that's the case, then they should be eyeing Luis Severino as a real option.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Athletics "are now open to trading" the veteran right-hander just half of a season into his tenure with the team after handing him a three-year, $67 million contract this past winter.

Much of that has to do with Severino's outspokenness when it comes to how much he doesn't like pitching in the minor league ballpark the Athletics play in, which is hard to blame him when looking at his 6.79 ERA across 10 starts at home and his 3.04 ERA across eight starts on the road.

The situation has gotten to the point where Nightengale reported, "it may come as a surprise if he’s still with the organization come August."

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Severino should be of real interest to the Tigers.

While there are concerns with how he has looked this year when it comes to his cumulative 5.09 ERA and ERA+ of 82 to go along with his strikeout rate and hard hit rate being the lowest and second-highest of his career, there is also plenty to like.

For one, Severino's Stuff+ numbers are above the league average, suggesting he still has plenty of tools to be a high-end starting pitcher.

He's also coming off a resurgent year with the New York Mets in 2024 where he posted a 3.91 ERA across 31 starts where his xERA was even a tick lower at 3.88.

With the ability to get the most out of their pitchers, Detroit could view the veteran right-hander as a perfect buy-low candidate for the back stretch of the season.

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However, there's another aspect that could interest the Tigers further.

Severino is under contract for 2026 and has a player option for 2027. And even though he's set to get paid on the more expensive side of things with his salary set at $25 million next year and $22 million the year after that if he picks up his contract, that also gives Detroit stability.

If he can come in and be a front-end starting pitcher like he was last season for the Mets, then the Tigers not only have a new one-two punch for the second half of this year, but also heading into next season with their championship window still wide open.

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