Tigers could reunite AJ Hinch with World Series-winning reliever after Cubs DFA

The Cubs had a curiously quiet trade deadline that netted them four players: starter Michael Soroka, utiity man Willi Castro, and relievers Andrew Kittredge and Taylor Rogers. Rogers was their last addition, sent over from the division rival Pirates who had just acquired him from the division rival Reds one day before. To accommodate Rogers on their roster, the Cubs DFA'd reliever Ryan Pressly.

The Tigers added a full slate of pitchers at the deadline, none of whom are particularly exciting. Charlie Morton, the biggest name in the group, has a 5.42 ERA this season and is 41 years old. Rafael Montero has a 5.40 ERA and is 34. Paul Sewald has a 4.70 ERA and is 35. Kyle Finnegan has a 4.38 ERA and is 33.

So the Tigers assembled a coterie of older (the more polite word would probably be "veteran") and not exceptionally good pitchers. Why not add one more?

We're not saying it would be a particularly good idea for the Tigers to grab Pressly off of waivers (or sign him shortly after he clears them), but he's 36 with a 4.35 ERA, so he fits right into that not-very-good veteran gang that Detroit put together. Getting Pressly would also mean an Astros reunion between him and AJ Hinch.

Tigers claiming former AJ Hinch reliever Ryan Pressly off of waivers would be a characteristic move for Scott Harris

Pressly did have the best years of his career in Houston, even if it wasn't always under Hinch's management. After being traded to the Astros from the Twins in 2018, Pressly pitched 23 1/3 innings for an astounding 0.77 ERA, then followed it up with a 54 1/3-inning, 2.32 ERA campaign in 2019 — both with Hinch at the Astros' helm. He earned his first All-Star appearance during that 2019 season.

He's had a couple of great seasons since and moved into the Astros' closer role, but he really lost his stuff after being traded to the Cubs. He has a 4.35 ERA in 41 1/3 innings, which is mostly the result of a particularly ignominious outing against the Giants on May 6, when he gave up nine runs (eight earned) without recording an out. He gave up at least one run in four out of his five last appearances in Chicago.

So should the Tigers take Pressly if Scott Harris sees him coming down the waiver wire? Probably not. But he definitely fits into a certain archetype that the Tigers seem inexplicably drawn to.