Tigers mailbag Part 2: Could the Tigers get aggressive at the trade deadline?

New York Times

06-05-2025

DETROIT — It is May, and the 22-13 Detroit Tigers have the best record in the American League.
The team's run differential of plus-63 is the best in baseball as of Monday morning, a sign that much of what they are doing could be quite real.
Next up? The Tigers face the Colorado Rockies, who have only won six games all season.
The vibes are high, hence the influx of questions about the Tigers being buyers at the trade deadline for the first time in a long, long time.
Here's Part 2 of our Tigers mailbag. Check back on Part 1 for questions about what the roster will look like after Matt Vierling and others return from the IL.
Note: Submitted questions have been edited for clarity and length.
Cody: It sure feels like the Tigers need to address a few positions to give them the best possible chance of going deep into the postseason. Has there been any indication that (president of baseball operations) Scott Harris is thinking the same way, and will he make a significant trade? — Jan W.
The truth is that it's still a little early to forecast what might happen at the trade deadline. But I got several variations of this question, so we might as well have some fun and speculate.
If the Tigers are still playing this well — or if they are at all in contention — they seem to be in a good position to be real buyers. I don't necessarily think Harris wants to part with any meaningful young talent. But the Tigers have enough depth at the upper and lower levels to have some maneuverability.
As for what the Tigers could pursue?
This isn't shaping up to be a trade deadline packed with prime sluggers. Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara and White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. project as the biggest trade candidates right now. I don't see either as a fit for the Tigers.
The left side of the infield still seems like the Tigers' biggest need. If Javier Báez and Zach McKinstry are still playing at otherworldly levels in July, that calculus could change. I do, however, remain interested in Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette as a potential deadline upgrade for Detroit.
After a real down year last season, Bichette has shown some signs of life so far. He is hitting .288 with a 102 OPS+ but has yet to get going in the power department, hitting only one home run. His bat speed is down, but his contact rate is up so far this season, which are things to watch.
And for as much as Bichette is regarded as a good shortstop, he's actually been worth minus-7 defensive runs saved since the start of 2024. Would he be an upgrade for the Tigers?
Let's see what the early part of summer holds before clamoring for specific moves. Health and performance could alter what the team needs in a couple of months.
If the Tigers want to make a deep run into the postseason, it kinda feels like they need to bolster the bullpen with another arm. Any elite options that you can see being available? Or do you see them adding from within? — Anthony D.
The Tigers have a 2.57 bullpen ERA right now. In the minor leagues, they're crafting other arms who could be useful by the end of the season. So it is worth asking: Would the Tigers want to trade for bullpen help?
There's a case to be made that the answer should be no. There's also the reality that relievers can get taxed as the season goes on. In the rotation, the Tigers will have to be careful with Jackson Jobe's innings down the stretch. It wouldn't hurt to make the bullpen even better.
Ryan Helsley of the Cardinals might be the top reliever on the market. Tampa's Pete Fairbanks, Cincinnati's Taylor Rogers and Washington's Kyle Finnegan could also be intriguing options.
If I had to guess right now, I could see the Tigers adding a power bullpen arm. But it might be harder to find the right fit offensively.
If anything, the Tigers could look to upgrade with another platoon righty if circumstances called for it. Knowing how Harris operates, I could see that being the case.
Maybe the Tigers will make smaller, shrewd moves rather than one big splash.
I asked a month or so ago what your appraisal on Casey Mize's ceiling was this year. Care to re-evaluate? Will Mize win 20 games this year with an ERA under 3.00? Currently on pace to beat both those. — Brian M.
I've been wrong on plenty of players over the years, but I'm happy I never really sold my Casey Mize stock.
Before Opening Day, I thought Mize could become a solid mid-rotation starter. That still feels like a realistic evaluation to me. Mize right now has a 2.70 ERA. He is throwing first-pitch strikes at a 70 percent rate. Some things that hurt Mize for so long — inconsistent fastball command, the disappearance of his splitter — have been resolved in striking fashion.
It's still really hard to be a true frontline starter at this level. Mize is getting slightly less chase from hitters this season (a 24.9 percent rate compared to 27.3 last season). His whiff rate is a career best 27 percent, but he's still striking out less than seven batters per nine innings.
Mize is greatly outperforming his 4.46 FIP. Opponents have only a .240 BABIP. So there are some signs that suggest a bit of regression could be coming. This surprised me because the eye test with Mize has been so good.
If Mize can keep improving under the hood and keep the surface numbers steady, he could have the makings of a strong mid-rotation piece for the Tigers this season and beyond. I'd still want to see more strikeouts before predicting anything above that.
Are Spencer Torkelson's changes/production sustainable? It seems like I'm seeing Tork Bombs hit my feed every other day or so. — Jonathan B.
Kind of like the Tigers themselves, I did sell some Spencer Torkelson stock. His resurgence is a reminder of why baseball is a funny, random game, even with legions of scouts and well-researched predictive models driving every decision.
Go look at Torkelson's Statcast page. Right now, much of what he's doing seems entirely sustainable. He's a better player because he finally made some real adjustments that have changed the way he covers the plate and gets the barrel to the baseball.
It's also worth noting that Torkelson is only 5-for-40 over his past 12 games. There's already been some drop-off. But three of those five hits have been home runs, he's hit into some tough luck, and the underlying metrics have remained strong, with an average exit velocity above 90 mph and a 50 percent hard-hit rate.
Based on Torkelson's history, I think the mental part of the game will be the biggest key for him to keep raking. I've been impressed to see him endure a couple of mini-droughts and come out on the other side still crushing the baseball.
Why does A.J. Hinch insist on leading off Kerry Carpenter? McKinstry seems like the ideal leadoff batter when he is going well, like he is now. Carp should be batting behind Torkleson to give him protection. — Philip C.
In the top of the sixth inning Sunday, there were two runners on base. The Angels had right-handed reliever Michael Darrell-Hicks in the game. Carpenter came to the plate. Manager Ron Washington could have turned to a left-handed reliever, and Hinch likely would have turned to a pinch-hitter. Instead, Washington took his chances with Carpenter. Carpenter hit a three-run home run that broke the game wide open.
It's not conventional to have a power hitter in the leadoff spot, but Hinch has watched opponents manage around Carpenter so carefully that he's now trying to wrestle them into making consequential decisions earlier in games.
Carpenter has been hitting leadoff to create pressure points in the middle innings. This could force managers to turn to their bullpens early. More often, it increases the chances of Carpenter getting at least three at-bats in a game.
On April 19, Hinch talked about the importance of Carpenter being the '19th batter of the game.' Sure enough, Carpenter came up for his third trip to the plate. The Royals stuck with starter Seth Lugo. Carpenter delivered with a two-out single and set up a big Torkelson home run.
It's a little unconventional. I think it's also pretty smart.
The sample is probably too small to make any judgment, but for what it's worth, the Tigers average 5.4 runs per game with Carpenter starting in the leadoff spot. They average 5.0 runs in every other game.
Sometimes it all gets a little confusing, and sometimes there are layers I miss. But I encourage fans to study Hinch's lineups, because there's always something fascinating going on.
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