Tigers may regret their approach to MLB trade deadline

The Detroit Tigers have a chance to make 2025 a year to remember in the Motor City, but the decisions made between now and the MLB trade deadline (July 31 at 6 p.m. ET) may make it a season to forget.

Detroit entered Friday with a 60-44 record and 1.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the best record in the American League. On the surface, those numbers and the eight-game lead in the AL Central seem fantastic.

Nevertheless, the Tigers are just 7-12 in July and have lost six of their seven games since the All-Star break, as well as 10 of their last 11 overall. 

Those numbers would indicate that Detroit might look to shore up its inefficiencies with reinforcements at the deadline. With the Tigers ranked 27th in Wins Above Average (WAA) in relief pitching (minus-3.6) and 17th at third base (0.0), the path to improvement is clear.

However, will Detroit take the bold steps needed to fill those gaps? According to Evan Petzold of The Detroit Free Press, the answer is no.

On Friday, Petzold reported that the Tigers will employ "a conservative approach, targeting mid-tier relievers as the most realistic upgrade." That means other American League teams may make bigger splashes than Detroit to prepare for the postseason, such as what the Seattle Mariners did on Thursday night by trading for first baseman Josh Naylor.

Petzold then writes the words that no Tigers fan wants to read ... "This isn't an all-in push to win the World Series in 2025."

It's a head-shaking thought for a franchise that has the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner (and current favorite for this year's award), Tarik Skubal, along with a pitching staff that is tied for ninth overall in MLB with a 3.79 ERA.

While Detroit's offense may be ranked seventh among MLB's 30 teams in OPS at .736, it has posted 13 runs over its last seven games. Offensive inefficiency like that makes it challenging for even Skubal to lead a team to victory.

According to Petzold, the Tigers reportedly plan to put their faith behind Zach McKinstry to continue performing at a career-best level (currently posting an OPS+ of 123, compared to a career mark of 87). His 55 games at third base represent the most of any Tigers player at the hot corner this season, and Detroit officials seem to believe keeping him there is better than likely overpaying for the Arizona Diamondbacks' Eugenio Suarez or the Colorado Rockies' Ryan McMahon.

That's a big gamble in a season where the Fall Classic is reachable. It's also one that the Tigers seem willing to take.

Depending on how the Tigers perform over the remaining schedule before the trade deadline, Detroit's front office may reconsider its strategy. As it stands now, though, the Tigers seem content to make small moves while their AL competitors prepare to bulk up for what could come in October.