For the Tigers, the move for Codi Heuer at the trade deadline felt like a long-term flier. The Rangers, for whom he had been laboring, were less than impressed with him, willing to let him go to Detroit for nothing more than cash considerations. That’s a rarity for a decent pitcher who is only 28 years old and has big-league experience.
Which makes it fair to wonder whether Heuer, who has had Tommy John surgery and surgery to fix a fractured elbow, still qualifies as a decent pitcher. He basically did not pitch from 2022-24 because of the injuries, throwing just 12.2 innings at all levels in three years, and is still trying to find his form.
Given his age and the fact that he was a good bullpen arm when he arrived in the majors with the White Sox in 2020, there’s a chance he could be useful in 2026. In that light, he had some promise as a Tigers deadline pickup.
Codi Heuer Arrives in Detroit
The problem is that the Tigers’ bullpen has been among the worst in baseball in the past month, and the team can’t seem to find answers. So after two scoreless appearances at Triple-A Toledo, the Tigers were desperate enough to pull the trigger on Heuer, though he has made exactly one MLB appearance since 2021.
Heuer is now up with the Tigers, as the team has designated Luke Jackson (4.2 innings, 7.71 ERA) for assignment.
As Evan Woodbery of the Free Press reported on Twitter/X, “RHP Codi Heuer has a locker in the Tigers’ clubhouse. He takes the spot of Luke Jackson, who has been DFA’d.”
Tigers Bullpen Among MLB’s Worst
As Brandon Day of the SB Nation site, Bless You Boys, wrote, the bullpen has been the Tigers’ most problematic area.
He wrote: “After a pretty good start to the year, over the last 30 days, the Tigers’ bullpen ranks in the bottom five in the game in both ERA and FIP. They’re giving up the worst barrel percentage in baseball, even though their hard hit rate against is middle of the pack. By strikeout rate in that span, they’re 27th best, though about average in terms of walks allowed.”
The Tigers tried to address the shortcomings among the relievers with a raft of new pitchers brought in at the deadline. The problem has been that those moves were a matter of quantity, not quality.
Maybe Heuer can get on a roll. But as things stand, Detroit remains in desperation mode in the bullpen.
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