Tigers fans are begging Justin Verlander’s brother to shut up during historic collapse

Every fanbase has the celebrity voice that they don't want to claim as one of their own, and for the Detroit Tigers, that very much is Ben Verlander. Calling Ben Verlander a "celebrity" feels generous, considering he latched on to his brother's success, but regardless, his takes are destined to wind up in the algorithm.

Everyone seems to have a reason why the Tigers have collapsed in September, and for Verlander, it can be tied back to one move they didn't make at the trade deadline ... even though many would argue there were about five of those moves and not a singular one that did them in.

Can you guess who it involved? Anybody? We'll give you a hint: it's an MLB pitcher whose last name rhymes with "Outlander."

Ben Verlander isn’t helping as Tigers fans suffer through collapse

Honestly, Verlander championing that the Tigers should have traded for Justin Verlander may be worse than his obnoxious Alex Bregman tweets during the offseason. At least Bregman made sense for what the Tigers had a need for; the same can't be said for Verlander.

Overall, yes, the Tigers needed starting pitching at the deadline, and they swung and missed with the decisions they made. Chris Paddack has been relegated to the bullpen and Charlie Morton was designated for assignment over the weekend. Just looking at those two moves, there's reason to be critical of what Scott Harris did at the deadline. Had Verlander walked that line, he certainly would have found little argument from Tigers fans.

However, that doesn't mean Verlander was the answer that would have prevented the Tigers' September collapse. To the 42-year-old's credit, he is finding some success with the San Francisco Giants this season, posting a 3.75 ERA in 141 2/3 innings pitched. Verlander certainly would have been a more preferable option in the Tigers' rotation than Paddack or Morton, but unless he was pitching out of relief, his brother just proved that he no longer watches Tiger games. Not only that, but Verlander was terrible prior to the deadline, with a ghastly 4.70 ERA in 15 starts during the first half.

The Tigers' offense has grown far too inconsistent, and above all else, there's been no stability in the bullpen. Harris made a flurry of moves at the deadline, adding several arms to the bullpen, but it felt more like throwing multiple names against the wall and hoping one stuck rather than a targeted approach to address the biggest needs. Kyle Finnegan's been the only passable name.

So, no, Verlander wouldn't have prevented this mess either. It might not have been this bad, but the Tigers would definitely still be in danger of losing the division to the Guardians.