Tigers Could Have Fewer Options To Address Bullpen Needs Than Rivals

The Detroit Tigers are one of several contending teams that are on the lookout for some bullpen help ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

Ideally, the Tigers would be able to acquire someone that has high-leverage and late-game experience to add to their duo of Will Vest and Tommy Kahnle, who have run into some struggles recently.

Also, the relief pitcher they acquire needs to be able to generate some whiffs and strikeouts because so many of their current core bullpen members pitch to contact and don’t generate swings and misses.

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Luckily for Detroit, there are several relief pitchers who are going to be made available ahead of the MLB trade deadline on July 31.

However, there is a portion of the pitchers who will be on the market that they are not going to have access to, creating an obstacle some of their competition will not have to face.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, some of the best relief pitchers who are going to be available are on American League Central teams.

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“The other top relievers who might be available include Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians, and Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax of the Minnesota Twins, but don't look for an intradivision trade there,” wrote David Schoenfield of ESPN in a recent piece.

Any of those three would look great being inserted into the back of the Detroit bullpen, but deals with the Guardians and Twins are slim to none.

It would take a massive overpay for their divisional rivals to even get on the phone and negotiate a deal at this point, leaving Detroit seeking other options to address their bullpen needs.

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With the Boston Red Sox thriving, Aroldis Chapman is almost certainly not going to be moved, either.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are a great place to start, with David Bednar and Dennis Santana both likely being available ahead of the deadline and under team control through 2026.

Maybe the San Diego Padres as well.

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They are contending for a playoff spot, but are reportedly listening to offers for starting pitcher Dylan Cease in an effort to upgrade other areas of the team.

Would they be willing to part with some of their stellar bullpen depth to accomplish the same goal?

It wouldn’t hurt for the Tigers’ front office to place a call, since they need to get creative with multiple avenues closed off because of the division they play in.

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