Kyle Finnegan clearly all-in on Tigers, Chris Fetter philosophy with plans for 2026

What happened after Kyle Finnegan arrived in Detroit at the 2025 trade deadline wasn’t a fluke hot streak or a lucky run of saves — it was a philosophical shift.

From the moment Finnegan arrived from the Washington Nationals, the Tigers asked him to do something he’d never really done before: trust the data and lean into a dramatic pitch-mix change. Fewer fastballs. Way more splitters. The results were immediate and eye-opening.

Before the trade, Finnegan carried a 4.37 ERA and a pedestrian 19.6% strikeout rate. After the trade? A microscopic 1.50 ERA and a 34.8% strikeout rate. His fastball usage plummeted from nearly two-thirds of his arsenal to just over 40%, while the splitter surged past 50%. Detroit didn’t just deploy him as a ninth-inning guy — they turned him into a multi-inning, leverage-anywhere weapon.

That transformation earned Finnegan real security. After testing free agency, he returned to Detroit on a two-year, $16.75 million deal with a mutual option that could push the total to $27.75 million. It was a reunion both sides clearly wanted, finalized at the Winter Meetings.

The Tigers, under pitching coach Chris Fetter, don't believe in static success. The goal isn’t to find the pitch — it’s to stay one move ahead of the league. Finnegan’s comments make it clear he understands that now better than ever.

"It was a great adjustment for me, but I think you got to understand that the league will adjust to your adjustment," Finnegan said (via Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press). "So it's finding ways to stay ahead of the curve. The increased splitter usage is something that I will continue to do, but I think mixing in my slider – you know, I do have a slider that I can throw."

Finnegan knows exactly what the numbers say. He knows the league adjusted. And he’s already planning his counterpunch.

Kyle Finnegan bought into Tigers' pitching philosophy, and it paid dividends

Finnegan's next evolution? Re-introducing the slider.

It’s a pitch he barely touched in 2025, throwing it less than 5% of the time with Washington and less than 3% of the time with Detroit — including zero sliders in the postseason. But that’s exactly why it matters. A credible third look changes how hitters approach everything else.

That mindset — constant adjustment, constant refinement — is the hallmark of the Tigers’ pitching development model. And Finnegan isn’t just participating in it. He’s leaning all the way in.

Tigers general manager Jeff Greenberg framed the contract talks as an alignment exercise. That alignment is obvious now — not just financially, but philosophically. Finnegan believes in what Detroit is building, and Detroit believes there’s still more upside to unlock.

In Finnegan, the Tigers brought back a pitcher who understands why it worked, why it stopped working, and how to stay ahead of the next adjustment. In a league where bullpens are churned through at alarming rates, that kind of self-awareness is gold.

Finnegan may have arrived in Detroit as a deadline addition, but he's heading into 2026 as a full-on Fetter disciple — and a clear example of how bought-in veterans can thrive when they embrace the Tigers’ way of thinking.