While many of the Detroit Tigers players have exceeded expectations this season, one player who has failed to deliver is reliever Tommy Kahnle.
The veteran right-hander was expected to add even more depth to an already stout Tigers bullpen after posting a 2.11 ERA in 2024 with the New York Yankees. Yet while Kahnle's surface-level numbers were rock-solid for the first three months, a subpar strikeout rate indicated that there might be trouble on the horizon. Sure enough, Kahnle has been a disaster in July, allowing 14 runs in just 4.1 innings and playing a major part in the Tigers' current 1-10 spiral.
Though Kahnle's struggles have garnered the most attention, the entire Tigers bullpen lacks the swing-and-miss capability of other AL contenders. Only Will Vest and Brant Hurter have struck out more than a batter per inning and are the only two relievers on the team with an ERA below three. And while Vest in particular has emerged as a reliable option over the past three years, his 10.2 K/9 pales in comparison to the likes of Aroldis Chapman (13.4), Josh Hader (13.1) and Andrés Muñoz (11.8), who are some of the other closers that could potentially loom in the American League playoffs.
The Tigers' strength comes from their ability to mix and match based on opposing matchups, but their lack of a true powerhouse closer stands out when stacked up against other American League contenders. Yahoo Sports writers Jake Mintz, Jordan Schusterman and Russell Dorsey believe they could solve that problem by acquiring St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley.
"The assortment of ultra-effective, if mostly anonymous, relievers who starred as key figures in Detroit's 'pitching chaos' strategy last season have taken a collective step back in 2025, leaving the first-place Tigers with a far flimsier bullpen than anticipated," they wrote. "While he remains one of the hardest-throwing pitchers in baseball, with a four-seamer that averages 99.3 mph, Helsley has not been nearly as effective this season as his past three years, when he was indisputably one of the best relievers in the sport. That said, this version of Helsley would still bring a much-needed swing-and-miss element to a Tigers bullpen that ranks 29th in K/9."
Even if Helsley can't quite recapture his 2024 form, a season in which he posted a 2.04 ERA and led the league with 49 saves, his triple-digit velocity and ability to generate both chases and whiffs at an elite rate would stand out in a Tigers bullpen that relies mostly on inducing weak contact.
In this trade proposal, the Tigers would send the Cardinals a pair of prospects in pitcher Troy Melton and infielder Max Anderson. The 24-year-old Melton, who MLB Pipeline ranked sixth in a strong Tigers farm system, is the clear headliner, having posted a 2.72 ERA in 36.1 Triple-A innings with a terrific 56-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Though he still has some work to do filling out his arsenal after an upper-90s fastball and plus changeup, the Cardinals figure to have plenty of room in their rotation to allow him to develop in the second half.
Though Anderson is not as major-league ready as Melton, he has jumped up the prospect ranks by hitting .314 with 11 home runs in Double-A this season. He needs to work on lifting the ball more and is probably limited to second base defensively, but his polished approach and strong contact skills would be a good fit in the Cardinals system.
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