Ranking the Tigers' 2025 critical trade deadline needs by severity

The Detroit Tigers have announced themselves as contenders to the greater baseball world in 2025. After over a decade of playoff-less baseball, it is beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Motor City will be represented in the October tournament.

So while some teams look to the trade deadline as a chance to load up for a playoff push, Detroit will be looking at it differently. The question won't be what does the club need to get there, but rather what does the team need to do in order to make a run once the leaves begin to fall.

This is where the Tigers are perhaps in the most enviable position. They don't have a ton of glaring needs, and they have a deep and talented farm system, which they can dip into to acquire pretty much any piece they desire without destroying their long-term future.

Still, some needs are greater than others, and the options presented on the market change the calculus of what is and is not the most important hole to fill. The Tigers have a variety of areas that they can address, but, simply put, addressing some areas over others will generate a greater impact.

Ranking the Detroit Tigers' positional needs in order of importance and impact

1. A strikeout reliever

The Tigers' bullpen isn't a weakness per se, but it's also hard to call it a strength. As a unit, Detroit's relief corps ranks middle of the pack in ERA — 14th in the majors with a 3.74 mark, and slightly below-average in FIP, coming in at 4.02.

Where the Tigers' pen really lacks is in its ability to get outs via the strikeout, ranking 28th in the bigs with a 7.59 K/9 mark. There's nothing wrong with a contact-oriented approach, but under the bright lights of the October stage, even weak contact can sometimes break the game open.

Therefore, adding a late-inning strikeout artist to complement Detroit's already impressive back-end duo of Will Vest and Tommy Kahnle would do wonders for making the unit formidable and, most importantly, shorten games come October.

Fortunately, the market is flush with high-end options for the Tigers to choose from, making this need the clear top priority at the trade deadline.

2. Third base

The hot corner has been something of a revolving door for the Tigers this season, and while there are options on the roster already, it might be worth exploring external candidates to upgrade third and elevate the lineup to a new level of potency.

Tigers' third basemen have hit just .216/283/.342 through June 26, with the likes of Zach McKinstry, Javy Baez, and Colt Keith among others getting reps there, all with varying degrees of success, yet all contributing to that subpar line overall.

The logic behind ranking this need so high, beyond just the need for better performance, is the potential strength of what might be available. If the Arizona Diamondbacks decide to sell, and they should following a wave of injuries, including losing stars Corbin Burnes and Corbin Carroll, a reunion with former Tiger Eugenio Suarez would be a tremendous boost to the lineup.

A less likely option might see Alex Bregman land in Detroit after all, and even beyond top-of-the-market options like Bregman and Suarez, other lower-cost trade candidates like the Angels' Yoan Moncada could make sense.

3. Center field

Like third base, the Tigers have had a revolving cast of characters out in center this year with less-than-stellar results. The resurgent Javy Baez has seen the majority of his reps come in center, despite also logging time at various other positions. After a lengthy injury absence, Parker Meadows has tried to reclaim the position, though he's batting just .172/.264/.328 through 19 games.

Without a true fixture, it would appear this would be a position the Tigers should attack upgrading with more urgency. However, it ranks beneath the bullpen and third base in terms of significance at the deadline for two distinct reasons.

First, there's a dearth of quality center field trade candidates. The top options include a player from the division rival Chicago White Sox in Luis Robert Jr., who has been horrid offensively for the better part of two years. Baltimore's Cedric Mullins is the other, and his .298 on-base percentage makes him a poor choice given the cost of acquisition.

In a way, the Tigers are better off leaving a position "vacant." In doing so, they're able to rotate guys through and create at-bats for super utility men like the aforementioned Baez and 2025's breakout darling, Zach McKinstry.

4. Another starting pitcher

In all honesty, this would be a luxury add. Tarik Skubal is one of the three best pitchers in baseball. Jack Flaherty brings playoff experience that the rest of the rotation lacks. Reese Olson's return from the IL is imminent.

Those three form a lethal trio atop the rotation, and with only four starters needed in the playoffs, this really comes down to a question of how you feel about Casey Mize. The former first overall pick has enjoyed a breakout in his age-28 season, posting a 2.85 ERA. Although his FIP is nearly a run higher at 3.85, that's still an incredibly respectable mark for a No. 4 starter.

Still, with so much history revolving around injuries and inconsistency, one can be forgiven for not truly trusting Mize. Furthermore, adding a legitimate second ace to pair with Skubal would take the Tigers' rotation from the realm of very good and transform it into an unstoppable juggernaut.

The problem is, there might not be any bonafide aces on the market. 2022 NL Cy Young Sandy Alcantara has been better in recent weeks, but his comeback from Tommy John surgery has been rough overall with a 6.69 ERA on the year. The pipe dream of Chris Sale didn't make a ton of sense even before his injury.

What's left is a crop of good pitchers, but none that would serve as significant upgrades and justify the cost.

5. Shortstop

Upgrading from 25-year-old Trey Sweeney, who has produced exactly 0.0 fWAR through 70 games and was demoted on Saturday, might seem like a logical sentiment, at least in the context of 2025 only. But in practice, it's not that easy.

Not only does Sweeney have a ton of potential, but the options to replace him down the road are both scarce and uninspiring. Bo Bichette simply isn't a realistic option as long as Toronto hangs out in the race. The next best option on the trade market might be Pittsburgh's Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Yuck.

Detroit has Baez and McKinstry, who can both sub in for Sweeney at short if need be. Long-term, the Tigers would like for Sweeney to work out, or at least give him the runway to try and fail until one of their top middle infield prospects is ready.

Given the dearth of options and the potential for a turnaround from Sweeney, as well as some veteran fallback options, making a move here simply isn't necessary.