Tigers Top Priority at MLB Trade Deadline Should Be To Improve Bullpen

Despite a great first half of the season, the Detroit Tigers have been slipping up a bit of late.

Over the course of a long year, there are going to be some peaks and valleys, but the timing of the slump does come at a good time.

With the MLB trade deadline quickly approaching, there is still time for Detroit to make some improvements for the stretch run.

Despite having one of the best records in baseball, this team has some areas that could be upgraded.

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Even though the Tigers are fortunate to have Tarik Skubal at the top of their rotation, there is a potential need to add one more high-quality arm for potential playoff matchups. Jack Flaherty hasn’t quite been the number two pitcher that the team had envisioned, leaving a bit of a question mark there.

However, the real need for the team appears to be in the bullpen. Like most contenders, it will be an arms race for the top relievers available at the deadline, and Detroit will be one of them.

Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the top priority for the Tigers at the trade deadline being to get some help for their bullpen.

“With the exception of Will Vest, Detroit's bullpen has been a minor travesty. The Tigers ended the first half with an "As RP" fWAR" that ranked 26th in the majors, ahead of only Colorado, Arizona, Washington and the Angels. Not great.”

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In the 2024 campaign, it was the bullpen that was arguably the greatest strength for Detroit down the stretch. Manager A.J. Hinch was able to utilize the unit masterfully and it helped them make the postseason and come one win shy of making the ALCS.

However, the unit hasn’t been the same this season. Currently, they rank in the bottom half of the league in bullpen ERA, which doesn’t bode well for the postseason.

There hasn’t been a ton to like about the bullpen for Detroit outside of Will Vest, making this a major area of need now.

While some of the arms from last year could bounce back in the second half of the campaign, some external help makes a lot of sense.

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With a strong farm system, the Tigers should be able to pursue some of the impact arms that will be available. However, with them in the same division as the Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins, the two star closers from those teams might be off the table for them.

Despite the success, the top priority for Detroit should certainly be to improve the bullpen.

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