The Detroit Tigers’ deadline plans are looking a lot less straightforward than they did a few weeks ago, and the biggest reason is simple: they’ve played their way back into the conversation.
At one point, Detroit looked like a clear seller heading into the MLB trade deadline on August 3. Injuries dragged down the early part of the season, and the club never got the kind of start it expected. But since June 1, the Tigers have gone eight games over .500, and that surge has pushed them back into the American League wild-card race and within reach in the AL Central.
That change in direction has put the futures of Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize under a brighter spotlight. Skubal is the biggest name likely to come up around the league before the deadline, but there’s no guarantee Detroit moves him.
He recently made it clear he wanted to stay in Detroit. Mize, meanwhile, has also surfaced as a possible trade piece, though that may be less certain than it once seemed.
ESPN’s Buster Olney reported Friday that rival teams are not convinced the Tigers are going to deal either pitcher. As Olney wrote, "The Tigers are 22-14 since the start of June, which means they've been playing at a 99-win pace for almost a quarter of the season. It's this trendline that has some rival executives extremely skeptical that Detroit will trade Skubal -- or, for that matter, Casey Mize,''
That kind of run is exactly why Detroit’s next few weeks matter so much. The American League picture is crowded, and the bar for a wild-card spot may not be especially high. In a race where 80, 81, or even 82 wins could be enough, clubs across the league are still trying to figure out whether they should push in or pull back.
There’s also another layer hanging over the deadline: the possibility of a work stoppage on December 1. With Skubal and Mize both set to become free agents after the season, the Tigers have a decision to make about whether this stretch of improved play is enough to keep them from breaking up two of their top arms. If Detroit believes it can get into October healthy, standing pat is very much on the table.
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Casey Mize Update Leaves Tigers Fans With Familiar Rotation Anxiety
Casey Mizes latest exit gave the Tigers another uneasy reminder of how quickly a rotation can be tested. The right-hander left after 3.1 innings when a come-backer led to a wrist injury, and the immediate read from manager A.J. Hinch was encouraging enough on that front, with Mize considered day-to-day and the wrist expected to be fine.
The bigger concern is the other issue hanging over the start, because Mize has already dealt with groin tightness twice this season. Detroit is planning more evaluation before it knows what the next turn in the rotation looks like, and for a club trying to keep its pitching on schedule, even a short-term absence can ripple beyond one outing. [Read more 🡒]
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Jones made his first game with Boston count right away, collecting multiple hits early and showing the kind of bat that had been missing during his recent stretch with Detroit. The contrast was hard to miss, especially with the Red Sox rolling through a long winning streak and pushing into a playoff position while the Tigers watched a former castoff find instant traction elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Javier Bez Update Gives Tigers Lineup A Much Needed Wild Card Boost
Javier Baez is finally ready to take a step back toward Detroits lineup, with AJ Hinch saying the shortstop will begin a rehab assignment at Low-A Lakeland after a long absence. Baez has been out since April 28 with an ankle injury, and after nearly three months away, the Tigers are at least getting him back into game action as he works to rebuild timing and rhythm.
The next part is the slower one, because Baez is expected to need several rehab games before the club can even start thinking about bringing him back. For a Tigers team that could use another option in the infield mix, the timeline points to a possible return in August or September, which makes these first minor league reps an important checkpoint rather than a finish line. [Read more 🡒]