The Tigers head into their final series before the MLB trade deadline carrying plenty of uncertainty, and it starts with the noise around Tarik Skubal. Several analysts around the league have said the back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner is likely to be traded at this year’s deadline, but Detroit still has one more stop to make before anything gets decided.
That stop comes against the Athletics, a team the Tigers swept in three games at Comerica Park before the All-Star break. Detroit could use a repeat performance after the series it just went through against the Baltimore Orioles, especially with playoff hopes still hanging around.
The matchup also lines up well on paper. The Athletics are fourth in the AL West and are expected to be sellers at the deadline. They’ll also be without All-Star catcher Shea Langeliers, who was placed on the injured list for the remainder of the season after undergoing a successful medial meniscectomy.
For Detroit, the path to a series win - and maybe even another sweep - starts with length from the rotation. The bullpen situation makes that even more important.
Casey Mize gets one more start before the deadline, and it could be his last in a Tigers uniform too. He’s set to hit free agency at the end of the season, which makes the idea of him being dealt far from far-fetched.
Mize has put together one of the best years of his career, coming into the series with a 2.70 ERA and 3.0 WAR. If the Tigers decide to move Skubal, there’s at least a case for keeping Mize around and building on what he’s done this season.
Framber Valdez, meanwhile, is looking for a much-needed reset. He’s posted a 7.13 ERA over four starts in July, and the biggest offseason signing hasn’t delivered the way the team expected. He enters the game with a 4.53 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP, and a 5-7 record.
There is one encouraging note for Valdez: the last time he faced the Athletics, he was excellent. He threw seven innings, gave up three hits and one run, and struck out nine in his only win of July.
The Tigers will also need Keider Montero to steady things in the finale. With the bullpen taxed, Detroit needs its Swiss Army Knife to give it something solid after he was hit hard in his last outing against the Orioles, when he allowed six runs, four earned, and struck out one.
Even with that rough showing, Montero has been dependable for most of the season. A.J. Hinch has been able to use him in different roles and get quality work, and Detroit will be hoping one strong outing is enough to get him back on track on the road.
In Other News...
Tigers Just Made A Move That Feels Bigger Than One Prospect
The Tigers are bringing Max Clark to the major league roster ahead of their weekend series against the Athletics, a move that puts one of the organizations most closely watched young players on the doorstep of the big leagues. Clark has handled Triple-A Toledo well enough to earn the call, and Detroit appears ready to give him a look in center field as the club keeps sorting through its outfield picture.
What makes the timing feel especially notable is the backdrop around the roster, with the deadline drawing near and the Tigers still navigating questions that go beyond a single promotion. Clarks path to playing time could also get more complicated once Javier Baez returns from injury, which only adds another layer to a decision that already feels bigger than one prospect getting his first shot. [Read more 🡒]
Scott Harris Just Sent Tigers Fans A Brutal Deadline Message
The Tigers are still trying to sort out what kind of club they are as the trade deadline nears, and the latest roster shuffle only adds to the uncertainty. Eduardo Valencia gave the lineup a jolt in a recent game, while Detroit remains seven games under .500 and staring at long odds in the playoff race, with FanGraphs putting its postseason chances at just 11.6 percent.
Even with the standings looking bleak, there is still a sense that the next move could say plenty about how aggressively the front office plans to navigate the deadline. Scott Harris has already shown he is willing to make uncomfortable decisions, and the bigger question now is whether the Tigers continue trimming around the edges or start listening more seriously as interest builds around their top talent. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Deadline Tension Just Spilled Into A Bryce Harper Conflict
Tarik Skubals name is still hanging over the deadline conversation, and for Detroit that means every outing now carries a little extra weight. The left-hander has become one of the more closely watched pitchers on the market, with the Dodgers among the clubs monitoring him as they sort through their own rotation concerns and weigh how aggressive they want to be before the deadline.
For the Tigers, the intrigue is not just about what Skubal means on the mound, but what his status says about where the franchise is headed in the next few days. The expectation around the league is that he could be moved, yet there is still enough uncertainty to keep the story alive, and the kind of attention he drew in his latest start only added to the sense that this is a decision that could reshape Detroits summer. [Read more 🡒]