The Detroit Tigers are the best team in baseball this season, and are almost surely going to win the American League Central, as they hold an 11.5 game lead in the division. The only thing left for Detroit to do is polish out their roster, ensure everybody remains healthy, and potentially add another arm or two before they eventually play in October.
Detroit had six All-Stars this season, and the pitching staff is backed by AL Cy Young contender Tarik Skubal, who can alleviate the pressure of Detroit’s bullpen whenever he takes the ball.
As MLB’s trade deadline is just two weeks away, look for the Tigers to make a deal with a team that is selling off their parts to improve their roster.
Pirates’ David Bednar Named as ‘Perfect Fit’
In this potential blockbuster trade idea, the Detroit Tigers would acquire Pittsburgh Pirates’ strikeout artist David Bednar.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan recently ran a hypothetical trade piece, and named Bednar as a perfect fit for the Tigers, who might be looking for a reliever with swing and miss stuff.
“Beyond the bullpen, the Tigers don’t need much. They can really hit, with eight of their nine regulars sporting slugging percentages of .415 or better. Manager AJ Hinch’s constant tinkering — the most Detroit has used one lineup this time is four times — doesn’t just work, it is an identity the team embraces, ” wrote Passan.
The Tigers are as complete as it gets, but every team with World Series aspirations always needs bullpen reinforcements.
“And as much as the Tigers could use capital from their tremendous farm system to add to this team, they don’t necessarily need it. This is the second year of a window that’s bound to last. Securing Bednar’s services for two playoff runs is the sort of incremental step needed to capitalize in a down American League.”
Bednar Having Another Quality Season
Bednar was an All-Star in both 2022 and 2023, and after having a down 2024, which saw him get sent down to the minors, he appears to have found his stuff once again. In 32 innings this season, Bednar has 13 saves and 45 strikeouts, also posting a 2.53 ERA. He will certainly be an attractive target until July 31st.
As Passan outlined, the Detroit Tigers have a solid farm system, so a return package wouldn’t be much of an issue at all. Speaking of return packages, a good one for the Pittsburgh Pirates would be second baseman Colt Keith and catcher prospect Thayron Liranzo.
Bednar is under control for the next two seasons, so Pittsburgh would certainly ask for something of value for arguably their best reliever. Keith has been a good utilityman for Detroit, but the lefty slugger would be the odd man out, and one of the big league pieces that the Tigers would have to give up in a deal like this.
Expect Detroit to be one of the active teams in the coming weeks in terms of trades, and potentially to make a big splash by acquiring the Pirates’ closer.
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