Detroit Tigers Deadline Trades Present Intriguing 'What-If' Question for Team
The roll that the Detroit Tigers have been on since July 1st has been remarkable. They have been the hottest team in baseball, crashing the playoff picture in the American League.
They have a chance to become only the fifth team in baseball history to be double-digit games out of a playoff spot after 115 games or later in the season and make the postseason.
Their odds have grown exponentially, going from less than a one percent chance to now being in a tie with the Kansas City Royals for the No. 5 seed and having a 70.1 percent chance of advancing.
Everything has come together for the Tigers, who are receiving timely hitting and lights-out pitching from everyone on their staff. Manager A.J. Hinch has made it work despite the front office operating as sellers ahead of the trade deadline and injuries ravaging the pitching staff.
At the time of the deadline, Detroit was 7.5 games behind the final wild card spot in the AL. It was the smart decision to unload veterans on potentially expiring deals, but they didn’t go all the way with a firesale, holding onto Tarik Skubal.
That has turned out to be the right decision, as Skubal has anchored the makeshift pitching staff as the runaway favorite for the AL Cy Young Award.
How different would things be if the Tigers had opted to not sell as much, holding onto starting pitcher Jack Flaherty? That is the biggest what-if for the franchise in 2024 in the opinion of Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report.
“The Tigers still have a bona fide ace in AL Cy Young front-runner Tarik Skubal to anchor the playoff rotation, but Flaherty would have slotted in as the No. 2 starter in October. The 28-year-old has a 3.10 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 189 strikeouts in 157 innings over 27 starts on the year.
Instead, it will be some combination of Reese Olson, Casey Mize and rookie Keider Montero to round out their postseason staff if they can complete their torrid push for a wild-card berth,” Reuter wrote.
Having a No. 2 the caliber of Flaherty would have certainly helped. But, trading him was the right move. Hindsight is 20/20 and no one could have predicted the team turning things around in this fashion.
At the very least, this should change the plans for the front office in the offseason. Adding to the roster is an easier sell to ownership now that the younger players on the team have proven they can play at a high level consistently.
Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.