Drew Sommers' latest bust exacerbates need for Tigers' trade deadline search

Despite their encouraging 15-11 record in June after a dismal May, the Tigers still came out of the month with the ignominious honor of most blown leads in baseball at 26. There was plenty of blame to go around — the bullpen couldn't lock down close games, the offense couldn't make up surmountable differences.

Although the chatter died down as the Tigers got better, Drew Sommers reminded fans of that unfortunate stat on Sunday night, when he gave up a go-ahead, and eventually game-winning, two-run homer to Michael Massey in the top of the eighth. Detroit has now blown 29 leads, still the most in baseball (though now tied with the Angels and Nationals).

Bob Nightengale reported on Sunday that the Tigers are looking for a late-inning reliever in trade talks, and Sommers' blowup just made that all the more apparent.

Unsurprisingly, fans aren't happy with him being entrusted with a high-leverage role as a rookie, but the Tigers don't have a lot of options right now. Kyle Finnegan and Kenley Jansen have both stumbled this year, and Will Vest is on the IL.

But if the Tigers are going to declare themselves contenders and go all-in at the deadline, they shouldn't stop at a late-inning reliever; they should also be looking for a bat.

Tigers' trade deadline search shouldn't stop at a high leverage reliever

Massey's homer put the Royals up by just one run, but the Tigers' offense couldn't come through with their last six outs despite threatening in the ninth. In their series split with Kansas City, they went 6-for-32 (.187) with runners in scoring position.

It's appearing more likely that the Tigers are going to take a hybrid approach to the trade deadline. Also within Nightengale's notebook was a tidbit on Tarik Skubal: the Tigers still don't plan to trade him right now, but they are listening to offers. Rival executives believe they might deal him while trying to keep fans' hopes alive for the season.

The only real way they might pull that off is if they make some meaningful additions to basically every part of the roster. They pulled focus from their unwillingness to add offense in the offseason by adding pitching and will have to do something to that effect if they trade Skubal.

If they do, the most perfect outcome would probably look something like this: get controllable starting pitching back in a Skubal trade, someone who could slot into the middle or back of the rotation easily, get that late-inning reliever, and add an outfield bat. That's a lot of work for Scott Harris, but it would be the only way to convince fans that the rest of the season without Skubal isn't a wash.

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