Tigers' Trey Sweeney suddenly becoming one of 2024's best trade deadline acquisitions

Jack Flaherty may have been the headliner of the trade that sent him from the Detroit Tigers to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but one of the prospects Detroit got in return is showing that the Dodgers weren't the only winners in the deal.

Trey Sweeney, a 24-year-old shortstop and former first-round draft pick by the New York Yankees, went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in the Tigers' 7-4 win over the Colorado Rockies Wednesday. His homer, which capped off a six-run first inning for the Tigers, was his fourth in 21 games since making his MLB debut on Aug. 16.

Sweeney slashed .381/.447/.667 in 11 games for Triple-A Toledo before getting called up by the Tigers. His Major League slash line is slightly less impressive at .231/275/.446, but Wednesday's three-run bomb extended his hit streak to three games dating back to Sept. 8, when he went 4-for-4 with a walk in Detroit's 9-1 win over the Oakland Athletics. (He hit a leadoff homer in that game, too.)

Trey Sweeney could be the answer to Tigers' Javy Báez problem at shortstop

Sweeney has been solid defensively for the Tigers, posting a .965 fielding percentage as he fills the void at shortstop left by the injured Javy Báez. With Báez out for the season after undergoing hip surgery earlier this month, Sweeney figures to get an extended look at shortstop for the Tigers during the final weeks of the season and a potential playoff run.

It's no secret that Báez has struggled greatly since coming over to Detroit in 2022. According to FanGraphs, he has an abysmal -0.8 WAR in 2024, by far his lowest during his time with the Tigers. Sweeney's WAR, on the other hand, is 0.6 in less than a month with the team.

Báez has begun rehabbing in Detroit following his surgery, but there is still no timeline for his return. He will be 32 when the 2025 season opens. There is also the small matter of the $73 million he's owed through 2027; though, at this point, that money may be better spent in the form of a contract buyout.

Sweeney has taken the starting shortstop role and run with it, showing steady improvement and offensive upside through just 22 games (19 starts). Imagine the value he could bring to the Tigers if they made him Báez's permanent replacement.

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