Detroit Tigers pitcher Kyle Finnegan (64) delivers a pitch against Minnesota Twins during the ninth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit in Monday, August 4, 2025. Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tigers Surprisingly Receive Poor Re-Grade From MLB Trade Deadline Moves

Originally posted on Detroit Tigers on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 8:00 AM ET

After a disastrous start to the second half of the season, the Detroit Tigers have been playing much better of late.

The Tigers were the team to beat in the first half of the year in the American League. Things were going swimmingly for Detroit until the All-Star break, but they hit a rough patch after the break.

Coming out of the break, the Tigers couldn't buy a win, leading up to the trade deadline, and it showed that this team had some glaring issues. At the trade deadline, Detroit was active, but didn't make a major splash.

Compared to some of the other teams in the AL who improved immensely with some household names, the Tigers took a more conservative approach. It has yet to be seen whether or not they did enough to win it all. However, early judgment of their moves hasn’t been favorable.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today recently wrote about the grade for the Tigers at the trade deadline, which he originally gave a ‘D’. With a couple of weeks passing, he has doubled down, and that grade has remained the same.

Should Grade Be Better Now?

It was a bit surprising to see the grade remain the same for Detroit. At the time, the moves made for the team felt very lackluster, and they didn't add an impact player like many were hoping for. However, some of the additions they made have worked out well so far.

In the starting rotation, both Charlie Morton and Chris Paddack have performed well. With the depth of the unit being an issue at the trade deadline, they were added to help that problem. Now, with both performing well, they could end up finding themselves starting in the playoffs.

Furthermore, the main issue for the team at the deadline was to improve a bullpen that was becoming one of the worst in baseball. This unit was a strength of the team in 2024 but has been a disappointment.

Has the New Closer Worked Out?

To address this issue, the Tigers added closer Kyle Finnegan from the Washington Nationals. The right-hander wasn't the top closer option available, but he has saved a lot of games over the past several years. So far, the results for him have been good.

Even though some of the new additions are doing well, the poor re-grade likely comes from the team not making an impact move like the Seattle Mariners did to fix their lineup. The Tigers could have done better but played it conservatively.