With a month of the 2025 regular season to go, the Detroit Tigers are looking like one of the top contenders in the American League. While they aren't a lock to earn a first-round bye or a postseason spot, those two outcomes are very likely.
If the Tigers can secure a spot in the postseason, come October, the team is expected to make a couple of decisions with the roster construction. One of those decisions, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, could be with the starting rotation.
While the team's number-two starter is still up in the air, the Tigers could make another interesting decision with their starting rotation come October. Instead, they could move one of their starters to the bullpen for the Divisional round.
Tigers Expected to Move Starter to the Bullpen
Tarik Skubal will start the first game of a postseason series, and one of the Tigers' other starters, at least in the first few series this postseason, will slide back to the bullpen.
"One of the Tigers' non-Skubal starters - Jack Flaherty, Charlie Morton, or Casey Mize - will be in the mix to be a bulk reliever," Rosenthal reports, "at least for the Division Series."
The reason for this move would be that the Tigers wouldn't need four starting pitchers for a Division Series matchup. Detroit only needs three starters for a Divisional Series, and one of those three options would move to the bullpen.
Instead of making this decision based on who has performed better recently, the Tigers might make such a move with the intention of identifying the best matchups.
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If the team they're facing struggles against left-handed pitchers, Mize would be guaranteed a spot in the rotation, while one of Morton and Flaherty would move to the bullpen.
Detroit is considering Flaherty as the ideal number-two starter, according to Rosenthal, so the most likely outcome would be one of Mize or Morton heading to the bullpen for the Division Series this October.
If the Tigers miss the first-round bye, the plan would remain the same for the Wild Card series. However, thanks to the Houston Astros' struggles, Detroit appears to have a good chance at a bye this October.
Regardless of who A.J. Hinch decides on, the Tigers will be moving one of their starters to the bullpen for, at the very least, the Division Series. Mize, Flaherty, or Morton will move to the bullpen as a bulk reliever.
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