3 ways for the Detroit Tigers to prepare for worst case on Casey Mize

If the Detroit Tigers learn Casey Mize is out for an extended period, they will have a few options to consider

Injuries have been coming in mounds for the Detroit Tigers this season. During spring, they were forced to maneuver around injuries to Andrew Chafin, Kyle Funkhouser, Jose Cisnero, and Riley Greene. Now, they find themselves with another pile of injuries to deal with between Javier Baez, Casey Mize, and Matt Manning.

They have called Manning’s early exit on Saturday a precaution which is good news, but the Tigers and fans alike are still awaiting Casey Mize’s fate. Mize was placed on the 10-day IL on Friday with a ‘right elbow sprain.’ Mize alerted staff the day after his start of elbow soreness when playing catch. It has already been determined that Mize would ultimately miss his next start, which made the injured list decision an easy one to make.

Mize, according to Hinch, is in the process of undergoing several tests and getting opinions to determine the extent of his injury. Although the ulnar collateral ligament is in the elbow, many times the pain which ultimately leads to Tommy John Surgery originates in the forearm.

That said, Tommy John surgery remains a very real possibility, which would shelf Mize for the next 12-16 months for recovery, and leave them with a gaping hole in their rotation. Mize, who many felt was primed for a breakout, has pitched 10 innings this season; supplying a 5.40 ERA and just 4 strikeouts.

It’s likely too soon for the Tigers to start looking for longer-term replacements for Mize, but if they have to, what are their options?

Option 2: The Detroit Tigers revisit their earlier trade conversations with the Oakland A’s regarding RHP Frankie Montas

The Detroit Tigers had some rumored interest in Oakland A’s starter Frankie Montas before the season before ultimately signing Michael Pineda to a one-year contract. Oakland’s ask for Montas was too high — so the Detroit Tigers simply opted to give up no prospect capital for a free agent.

Oakland is losing team control of Montas with each start, which means his value is only likely to decrease from here. If the A’s adjust their asking price for Montas, it might be a rare opportunity for an early-season trade that would bring Montas in for, at minimum, this season and next.

While Montas would be a consensus upgrade to the options they have in-house and would keep the Detroit Tigers’ playoff hopes alive this season, his addition would make Detroit Tigers fans very excited for the potential in their 2023 rotation; one that could at some point feature Montas, Eduardo Rodriguez, Tarik Skubal, Spencer Turnbull, and Casey Mize.

A trade would be a similar approach they took with the Riley Greene injury when they pivoted and acquired Austin Meadows out of nowhere. Montas, though, would require a larger package in return, and the Tigers have more recently been cautious about dealing their top talent in trades. This makes any Montas acquisition unlikely at this stage.

Option 3: The Detroit Tigers examine the current free-agent market for starting pitching

If the Detroit Tigers aren’t comfortable with their internal options and are against giving up prospects in a trade, they could examine some of the arms that are still available on the open market.

This option is particularly tough to project. There’s a reason each arm out there is not currently in the majors. Maybe they couldn’t get the money they wanted, or they weren’t open to a minor-league deal, or their performance has fallen off, or maybe they’re dealing with an injury. Perhaps they just aren’t interested in playing anymore.

All these possibilities make naming names very difficult, but I’ll do my best. Rick Porcello was a fan favorite a couple of years ago as someone who might return, but the fact Porcello was never signed in 2021 and again was passed on in 2022 says he falls somewhere in the ‘can’t play’ or ‘doesn’t want to play’ categories.

Brett Anderson would be an interesting addition; he’s 34 but gave the Brewers 96 innings of 4.22 ERA/4.39 FIP baseball in 2021. Since 2018, Anderson has averaged just 2.3 walks per nine innings pitched, but has also averaged over a hit per inning in each season over that same timeframe.

JA Happ would fit a similar mold, but at 39, it is unclear if he wants to pitch anymore. Some other names that pitched in the big leagues in 2021 that would be possibilities include Mike Fiers, Tommy Milone, Ervin Santana, Trevor Cahill, and Scott Kazmir.

Aside from the potential performance roller coaster that could come from any of these names, the logistics are less-than-ideal as well. All of these arms would require a Spring Training of sorts in the minor leagues for a certain period before they’d be able to contribute. By the time they would be ready to help, they could have lost four or five turns in the rotation already. For this reason, option three only makes sense if it is combined with option one.

In other words, these names should represent minor league depth and not a realistic fix to their rotation issues. And asking any of these longtime MLB vets to take a step back in their career just for a possible big-league role is a difficult sell.

Considering how volatile the trade market can be at this stage and how difficult it might be to convince a veteran to accept a minor league assignment, it probably makes sense for the Detroit Tigers to stand pat with what they have. If they can hold on through the spring and still feel they have a shot at the postseason come July, they’ll have all sorts of options beyond Montas to swing a trade. But that’s another piece for another day.