Five Things We Liked From Last Week, August 1st

Welcome to “Five Things We Liked From Last Week”, a weekly list of… five things we liked from last week:

1. Reliever Roulette

Heading into the trade deadline, it was no secret that the Tigers needed to make some moves to shore up the bullpen. And make some moves they did.

With the additions of Luke Jackson, Paul Sewald, Rafael Montero and Kyle Finnegan, Detroit completely re-made their bullpen over the course of the past few days. And while one can argue whether or not they got enough impact, there are traits to like in each one of these relievers.

If there’s a common theme among the four relievers the Tigers acquired, it’s that while their current production has been a little up and down, they’ve all had at least one excellent season within the past few years. The takeaway is that Detroit must feel like they can unlock that past success with a few of these pitchers, perhaps with some tightening of command here, and a change in pitch mix there.

In 2023, Luke Jackson was one of the better relievers in the National League. In 33.1 innings, he posted a 2.97 ERA / 3.50 xFIP, with a 30.1% strikeout rate, 10.5% walk rate, .205 batting average allowed, 0.81 HR/9 and 50.6% groundball rate. The strikeouts are down and the walks are up this year, but he’s still keeping the ball on the ground and in the ballpark, and his barrel percentage is also in the 70^th percentile per Statcast. It will be interesting to see if the Tigers change his pitch mix a little. In his 2023 season, he threw the slider 70% of the time, and it was very effective. This year, the slider usage is down to 50%, perhaps because it’s getting hit a little harder. The whiff rate is the same on the slider as it was in 2023 though, and considering the increase in walk rate, the issue seems to be command; if Detroit can help get Jackson hitting his spots more frequently, there may be an increase in slider usage, and a return to his 2023 form.

Like Luke Jackson, Paul Sewald had a very strong 2023 season. In just over 60 innings, he put up a 3.12 ERA / 3.76 xFIP, with a 32.1% strikeout rate, 9.6% walk rate, .205 BAA and 1.19 HR/9. Sewald has always been a flyball pitcher, with a career groundball percentage of just 28.6%; the problem this year is that number is down to 12.5% in just over 15 innings, and with the increase in flyballs, the home runs have gone up. In 2025 Sewald still has an above average strikeout rate of 29% and above average walk rate of 6.5%, and checking out his Statcast page, his expected ERA, expected batting average, average exit velocity, whiff percentage and hard hit percentage are all considerably above average as well. Again like Luke Jackson, one wonders if the Tigers may change his pitch mix a little. In 2023, he threw 50% fastballs and 50% sweepers. This year, despite the sweeper being the more effective pitch, he’s thrown 60% fastballs and 40% sweepers. Sewald is currently on the injured list, but Detroit hopes to get him back in early September. When they do, they may ask him to throw more sweepers.

In 2022, Rafael Montero was one of the best relievers in baseball. In just over 68 innings, his ERA was 2.37, and his peripherals were nearly as impressive: 3.22 xFIP, 27% strikeout rate, 8.5% walk rate, .192 BAA, 52.9% groundball rate and 0.40 HR/9. This year, the main issue is a walk rate of 14%. Outside of that, per Statcast, Montero’s expected ERA, expected batting average, average exit velocity, strikeout percentage, groundball percentage, and chase and whiff percentages are all above average this season. There’s a trend here, and that is that Detroit may alter his pitch mix as well, and hope to get his command back on track. Rafael has added a split finger this year, and it’s a good one that he uses 47% of the time. His slider has been his best pitch, but he’s only used it 7% of the time. His once strong fastball is getting hit harder this year (likely due to command issues), so chances are the Tigers will hope to tighten up his command, and perhaps ask him to up the slider usage, just like with Jackson and Sewald.

Kyle Finnegan was the final addition to the ‘pen, and perhaps the most accomplished and consistent. Each year from 2021-2024, Finnegan pitched between 63 and 69 innings, with an ERA between 3.51 and 3.76. His strikeout rate was generally in the 22-23% range, his walk rate was generally in the 8-9% range, his groundball rate was generally in the 46-48% range and his HR/9 was generally in the 1.25 range. This year, the strikeouts are a little down, but everything else seems to be in order, including an improved HR/9 of 0.69. With an expected ERA of 3.51, Finnegan may be dealing with some tough luck this season, as his actual ERA sits at 4.38. Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but just like with every other reliever acquired, a change to the pitch mix may be in order for Finnegan. He’s throwing his fastball 66% of the time, and it’s been his worst pitch this year (.329 xwOBA). The xwOBA on his split finger (29.6% usage) is .279, while the xwOBA on his slider (4.7% usage) is just .088. Like with the other relievers acquired, it wouldn’t be a surprise for the usage to change with Finnegan wearing a Detroit uniform.

Overall, the feeling online was that Detroit should have done more when it came to the relief core, and that’s understandable. But each of the relievers the Tigers picked up have shown promise recently, and the hope is that Detroit’s pitching department can get them back to their prior success, one way or another.

2. Charlie Morton

With about 30 seconds to go before the trade deadline passed, Jon Heyman posted a cryptic message on X: “Tigers working hard for starting pitcher”.

Those six words left a lot to the imagination, and it turns out Detroit wasn’t just working hard; they beat the buzzer to land veteran starter Charlie Morton from the Baltimore Orioles.

Morton has had an impressive 18 year career, with several great seasons on his resume. However, his 2025 has been a bit up and down. He started the year in Baltimore’s rotation, but after just four starts and a 10.89 ERA, he was sent to the bullpen. Things didn’t go much better over his next four appearances out of the ‘pen, but on May 10^th, he began to turn his season around.

In three appearances from May 10^th through May 17^th, Charlie allowed just two runs in nine innings, so the Orioles inserted him back into the rotation on May 26^th; and since then, he’s been pretty good on the whole.

Morton has gone at least five innings in 10 of 11 starts since the end of May, and in nine of those starts, he’s allowed three runs or less. He was excellent in June (2.88 ERA in 25 innings), and taking away one blowup, his July has been pretty solid as well.

Overall, Morton has a 5.42 ERA in just over 100 innings on the year, but his xFIP and expected ERA are a full run below that, suggesting he’s run into some bad luck (his BABIP on the season is .324, while his 15.1% HR/FB percentage is one of the highest of his career). His 21.8% strikeout rate and 43.4% groundball rate are solid, and he’s also getting whiffs at an above average clip.

Just like with the relievers the Tigers acquired at the deadline, there’s a chance the Tigers may make a change to Morton’s pitch mix. Charlie generally relies on a five pitch mix: curveball (38.5% usage), four seam fastball (29.2% usage), sinker (14.3% usage), changeup (9.9% usage) and cutter (8.1% usage).

In 2020, Morton’s sinker and cutter were above average pitches; but since then, they’ve been getting hit pretty hard on the whole, including in 2025 (cutter has a .464 xwOBA, sinker has a .369 xwOBA). The curveball, fastball and changeup have been more effective, but he only uses his changeup 10% of the time. Perhaps Detroit will ask Morton to lean more heavily on those three pitches (and subsequently less on the cutter and sinker), which may increase his effectiveness.

Morton has had an excellent career, and has had some big moments in the postseason. He provides the Tigers rotation with more depth, and if he gets hot, he also gives them a potential proven playoff starter, which is what the rotation needed.

3. Chris Paddack

Prior to the flurry of activity at the trade deadline on Thursday, Monday was also a bit of a whirlwind day in the Tigers universe, to say the least.

Not only did Detroit announce that centerfielder Parker Meadows was going on the injured list with a quad injury (coming off a two hit game), they also dropped the bomb that starting pitcher Reese Olson was going to be out for the rest of the regular season at least with a shoulder injury.

The news didn’t stop there. To help fill the void from Reese’s injury, on Monday the Tigers also swung a rare intra-division trade with the Minnesota Twins, acquiring starters Chris Paddack and Randy Dobnak for 19 year old catcher Enrique Jimenez.

The trade was met with mixed reactions online, to put it politely. But in this corner, the trade makes a lot of sense.

Part of the reason for the online consternation was that Paddack’s ERA was at 4.95 at the time of the trade, with peripherals that weren’t necessarily encouraging either, outside of a strong walk and chase rate.

HOWEVER.

The Tigers starting pitching depth, which was originally thought to be a strength entering the year, has taken a major hit throughout the season. Outside of Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize and Jack Flaherty, prior to the Paddack trade, as of Monday Detroit was down to Troy Melton, Keider Montero, and a trio of pitchers currently working their way back from injuries: Sawyer Gipson-Long, Alex Cobb and José Urquidy.

Detroit needed a starter that could eat innings for the 4^th or 5^th spot in the rotation, and Paddack has done just that this year. In 17 of his 21 starts entering Wednesday, Chris had gone at least five innings; and while the results may not wow you, a steady presence in the back of the rotation is just what the Tigers needed to help keep the bullpen fresh for the stretch run.

And about that bullpen. Troy Melton was electric in his start on Monday, looking like a potential future cog in the rotation. But he’s already at 87 innings on the year, and after tossing just over 100 last year, there’s a good chance that Melton will be on an innings limit coming up soon. Accordingly, on Thursday the Tigers announced they were going to transition him to the bullpen, where he could be a major weapon while limiting the mileage on his arm. Getting him some experience out of the ‘pen prior to the playoffs is wise, and Paddack’s acquisition helps make that a reality.

Paddack ultimately made his Tigers debut on Wednesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and gave Detroit everything they could have hoped for and more. In six innings, he allowed just one run on three hits and no walks with five strikeouts, in one of his best starts of the year.

The Tigers will hope that Paddack and Charlie Morton solidify the back of the rotation for the rest of the year, and both having postseason experience helps as well.

4. Gleyber Torres

Entering Sunday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays, things were looking quite bleak for the Tigers, to say the least.

Detroit had lost 12 of their last 13 games, with some uncharacteristically listless baseball being played on both sides of the ball, and a once massive lead in the division was down to just 7 games. The offense had scored just 16 runs in the 9 games since the All-Star break, and facing old friend Max Scherzer, the Tigers needed a spark.

Heading into the bottom of the third inning on Sunday, the score was tied 0-0. But Dillon Dingler and Parker Meadows started the inning with hits, leaving runners on second and third with no outs, and giving the Tigers an opportunity to take a rare lead over the last few weeks.

Javy Báez was up next, and hit a shallow fly ball to right, which wasn’t deep enough to get the run in. When Colt Keith followed up by popping out to short, a once promising rally didn’t look so promising; and with how the offense was performing, a familiar sinking feeling set in.

Enter Gleyber Torres.

Torres has been the sparkplug for the Tigers offense all year. His .375 OBP leads the team, and his steady presence at the top of the lineup has been invaluable to a Tigers offense that has performed above expectations.

Torres worked the count to 1-0, and on the next pitch, sent a missile out to right that cleared the wall, and gave Detroit a 3-0 lead. You could almost feel the relief from the Tigers dugout.

In a 162 game season, there will be ups and downs, and this recent cold stretch was by far the low point of the season for Detroit. But baseball is a game of momentum, and with one swing of the bat, perhaps one of the biggest of the season under the circumstances, Torres finally put the momentum back on the Tigers side. Detroit ended up winning the game 10-4, breaking a six game losing streak; and they went on to win their next three games as well.

There’s a good chance that Torres will only be around for one year, as his contract is up after the season. But what a year it’s been for the former New York Yankee.

5. Max Clark and Kevin McGonigle

Back on July 8^th, the Tigers decided it was time to promote the West Michigan Big Three of Kevin McGonigle, Max Clark and Josue Briceño to Double A Erie.

It was an exciting day for the organization and it’s fans. And while Briceño is still finding his footing 50 plate appearances into his tenure at Erie, Clark and McGonigle have begun to take off.

Max is currently riding a six game hitting streak, and overall, he’s hitting .316/.385/.596 at Erie, with an 8.5% walk rate and 16.9% strikeout rate. McGonigle on the other hand is currently on a five game hitting streak, and is hitting .302/.387/.491 in Erie, with a 12.5% walk rate and 16.1% strikeout rate.

With their success at the Double A level, both Clark and McGonigle are putting themselves on the Tigers radar as potential solutions in the near future for the big league club, perhaps as early as Opening Day 2026.

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