The Scott Harris haters are oddly silent about this game-changing trade deadline move

Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris got plenty of grief from fans for how he handled last month's trade deadline, and perhaps some of it was deserved. Fans felt that Harris wasn't aggressive enough in addressing the team's immediate needs, particularly on offense, as they gear up for what they hope will be another deep postseason run.

Admittedly, there are still plenty of weak spots on the Tigers' roster (namely, in the bullpen), but Harris deserves his flowers for one of the additions he did make at the deadline that has panned out rather nicely so far: right-handed reliever Kyle Finnegan.

The Tigers acquired Finnegan from the Washington Nationals in exchange for pitching prospects Josh Randall and R.J. Sales at the deadline as part of an otherwise underwhelming bullpen makeover that also included the additions of Codi Heuer, Rafael Montero and Paul Sewald (who is currently injured). A 33-year-old right-hander who had a 4.38 ERA and 20 saves in 40 appearances at the time he was traded, Finnegan has arguably been the Tigers' most impactful deadline acquisition since his arrival.

Finnegan has yet to allow a run through seven appearances for the Tigers. In 7 2/3 innings pitched, he has surrendered just two hits and one walk while striking out 10. He has recorded one hold, as well as four saves in four opportunities. In an admittedly small sample size, Finnegan has been an incredibly effective addition to a Detroit bullpen that desperately needed a boost.

Kyle Finnegan has been a game-changing trade deadline addition to Tigers' revamped bullpen

Make no mistake – the Tigers have still had one of the worst bullpens in baseball since June 1 with an ERA over 4.00. But Finnegan's arrival has alleviated plenty of concerns about Detroit's options for late-inning relief. He's another closing option for AJ Hinch to deploy in tight situations when he's spread thin.

In his brief time in Detroit, Finnegan has become one of the TIgers' most reliable options in high-leverage – especially as veteran reliever Tommy Kahnle appears to be continuing his longtime trend of breaking down late in the year. With Kahnle being demoted to low-leverage situations only, it's scary to think about where the Tigers would be without Finnegan, and Harris deserves credit for that, even if you're still mad about him not acquiring a bat.

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