The Detroit Tigers are the first team to make it to 60 wins this season, and unsurprisingly, are expected to be buyers at the MLB trade deadline. According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, the Tigers have a clear target at the deadline this season.
"The Tigers would like to add an impact closer," Bowden writes, "and there are plenty of them to target."
Some of the names Bowden mentions are Baltimore Orioles' Felix Bautista, Pittsburgh Pirates' David Bednar, Cleveland Guardians' Emmanuel Clase, and Atlanta Braves' Raisel Iglesias.
Of these four, the most obvious player who won't be a Tiger is Clase. The Guardians sending their top reliever to an in-division rival would be too much to ask, especially with Cleveland not out of the postseason hunt yet.
But the other three are all solid options that are much more realistic. Bautista is the most appealing, as his 2023 All-Star season, where he had a 1.48 ERA in 61 innings pitched, is very appealing for any team interested in closers this season.
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He has a 2.60 ERA this season, not as remarkable as his 2023 number, but still very strong. He'd fetch a strong return, as he is under team control through 2027, as he's in arbitration.
Bednar, on the other hand, is a much easier player to land. While he has a club option for 2026, he's not nearly as likely to fetch a high price like Buatista. He has a 2.45 ERA this season and hasn't allowed an earned run since May 23rd, which spans 19 appearances.
Iglesias has been the worst of the bunch this season. He has a 5.12 ERA in 38.2 innings of work. He has 11 saves and blown four, a tough ratio for the 35-year-old. He had a strong 1.95 ERA in 69.1 innings in 2024, but this season hasn't been half as good.
He'd be the cheapest of the four relievers Bowden links to the Tigers, but he still wouldn't be cheap due to his 2024 production. But Detroit likely won't shy away from making any of these relievers offers, even if they are costly.
As Bowden writes, "Expect them to be aggressive at the deadline." The Tigers are looking to land an impact closer, and with plenty more options than the four Bowden mentioned, the Tigers landing one at the deadline wouldn't be a surprise.
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