Tigers focus on pitching with several Deadline deals

DETROIT -- The Tigers showed last postseason that they can use their bullpen in creative ways to find an edge and turn a close game in their favor. As president of baseball operations Scott Harris watched a seller-friendly relief market unfold leading up to Thursday’s Trade Deadline, and as he heard teams asking them for highly valued prospects in return for big-name relievers -- deals Harris said they would have regretted in future years -- they turned back to that creativity to look for lower-risk, higher-upside deals they believed could help them build a bullpen designed for October.

“I think as we started to navigate the market and hear the asking prices for some of these guys, we felt like it was a better approach for us to attack it in volume,” Harris said Thursday evening, “with some guys that we like, some guys that are doing some things under the hood that we really value and that are predictive of future performance. And we really needed to strengthen our 'pen in a number of ways.”

TRADE DETAILS
Tigers receive: RHP Charlie Morton
Orioles receive: Double-A LHP Micah Ashman

By acquiring versatile veteran Charlie Morton from the Orioles in the minutes leading up to the 6 p.m. ET Deadline, the Tigers believe they added the hard-throwing swing-and-miss reliever they needed for the stretch run and into October. That swing-and-miss reliever is rookie Troy Melton, who will move into the bullpen, with the 41-year-old Morton filling his rotation spot.

“We realized that one of our better relievers might be Troy Melton,” Harris said of the Tigers’ No. 6 prospect, “and we should give him a chance to be there.”

By acquiring Paul Sewald from Cleveland on Thursday and Rafael Montero from Atlanta on Wednesday night, the Tigers added two former closers with postseason experience. Montero won a World Series in Houston in 2022. Sewald racked up six saves for the D-backs during their run to the World Series the following season.

TRADE DETAILS
Tigers receive: RHP Rafael Montero
Braves receive: Double-A INF Jim Jarvis

Montero has battled inconsistency between Houston and Atlanta, including a 13.9 percent walk rate for the season that ranks in the bottom two percent of MLB pitchers, according to Statcast, and some rough stat lines in July. But when he has been in form, he has been an electric strikeout reliever, including an 89th percentile chase rate and a 76th percentile whiff rate.

“I think his overall season walk rate is a little misleading,” Harris said. “I think it’s like 10 percent since May 1, which is definitely tolerable with the caliber of stuff that he has. It’s an upper-90s fastball with a really steep, really interesting angle that keeps hitters uncomfortable. He also added a split this year that dropped an additional five inches of depth. He’s throwing it a ton, especially to lefties, but it induces a ton of soft contact and a ton of ground balls.

“And the thing that isn’t as obvious, I think, to casual observers is he does a really good job of staying out of the middle of the zone. He does a really good job of picking the edges. … I think there are also some things that we see that he is doing under the hood that are predictive of better performance.”

TRADE DETAILS
Tigers receive: RHP Paul Sewald
Guardians receive: Player to be named or cash

Sewald has been on the 15-day injured list for much of the season with a right shoulder strain. He first went on the IL in late April, returned at the start of July, then was placed back on the IL around the All-Star break with what was classified as a moderate right teres major strain. Sewald’s season stats are thus a small sample, but he's allowed nine runs (eight earned) on 14 hits and four walks over 15 1/3 innings with 18 strikeouts.

Sewald went on the 60-day injured list within hours of his trade becoming official, but has started his rehab process, could begin a rehab assignment around the end of August and will be eligible to return on September 10.

“We added a dynamic swing-and-miss option that’s going to come online in September,” Harris said.

TRADE DETAILS
Tigers receive: RHP Kyle Finnegan
Nationals receive: RHP Josh Randall (Tigers' No. 15 prospect), RHP R.J. Sales

By acquiring Kyle Finnegan from the Nationals, the Tigers added an established closer with an upper-90s fastball and a track record, having saved 108 games over the last five years. His 21.7 percent whiff rate ranks in the bottom quarter of MLB pitchers, according to Statcast, and his 19.6 percent strikeout rate ranks in the bottom third. But Finnegan thrives in limiting hard contact; his average exit velocity of 89.3 mph ranks in the 53rd percentile, and his 38.8 percent hard hit rate ranks in the top third.

“I think there’s going to be some more swing-and-miss in there,” Harris said. “I think there are some things that he can do a little differently that will help him miss a few more bats, both with the four-seamer and the splitter. But he’s a guy that floods the zone. He’s not afraid of the moment. He racked up a ton of saves last year; he was in the All-Star Game. He’s pitched in high-leverage moments for many years with the Nationals, and he’s not going to be afraid of those moments with us.”

TRADE DETAILS
Tigers receive: RHP Codi Heuer
Rangers receive: Cash considerations

Codi Heuer managed a 3.43 ERA with 53 strikeouts over 39 1/3 innings in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League for Triple-A Round Rock before the Rangers traded him to Detroit for cash.

They join a group of relievers already in Tigers camp. Former Astros swingman José Urquidy, Montero’s teammate on that 2022 championship team, is nearing a rehab assignment in his path back from Tommy John surgery after signing in March. Alex Lange, who racked up 26 saves for the Tigers two years ago, could rejoin Detroit’s bullpen as soon as next week after rehabbing from lat surgery. Luke Jackson, part of Atlanta’s 2021 World Series-winning bullpen, was a free-agent signing on Saturday after the Rangers released him.

Add in prospects and potential late-season callups like No. 24 prospect Tyler Mattison and RJ Petit (just promoted to Triple-A Toledo over the last week and a half) and lefty Drew Sommers, plus Heuer, and the Tigers have given themselves options. In the meantime, the Tigers have a bullpen with tiers more than set roles, fitting of manager A.J. Hinch’s matchup-based usage. Finnegan can handle save opportunities with Will Vest and Tommy Kahnle. Montero can work middle relief with Jackson and Brenan Hanifee. Tyler Holton and Brant Hurter can do a little bit of everything depending on how opponents stack lineups.

“And then I think the final reason why we’re going to get better,” Harris said, “is we’re going to start using our pitching pretty creatively, kind of like we did last year, and certainly into the playoffs. You can’t really do that without a number of different options and a really deep pitching staff that I feel like we have right now.”