Tigers must live with ridiculous reality if they opt to bring back Chris Paddack

The first time Chris Paddack faced his former team as a member of the Detroit Tigers, it didn't go well.

The right-hander, acquired by the Tigers at last month's trade deadline, gave up for earned runs on six hits in four innings against the Minnesota Twins on August 5. Unfortunately, that was nothing compared to his second outing against his former team less than two weeks later.

Paddack got rocked by the Twins on Sunday, giving up eight earned runs on nine hits across 5 2/3 innings. Three of those hits went over the fence, including Brooks Lee's first career grand slam, raising some serious questions about his ability to pitch against the Tigers' division rival.

"At the end of the day, it is a big league start," Paddack said, via Evan Petzold of The Detroit Free Press. "They all matter, whether it's your former teammates or not. You have to find ways to go out there and compete and win. Obviously, it stings a little bit more when it is your former team. I'm wishing those guys the best, but I'm glad I don't have to face them again."

Unfortunately, if the Tigers choose to re-sign Paddack after this season, he will have to face the Twins again – regularly. It may sound silly, but it might actually be worth considering when the Tigers are evaluating whether to bring him back into the fold in 2026.

Tigers must live with ridiculous reality if they opt to bring back Chris Paddack

When he's not facing the Twins, Paddack has been a very solid addition to the Tigers' bullpen so far. He gave up one earned run in each outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox, good for a 1.54 ERA. Over those two outings, he allowed just six hits and struck out 12 batters in 11 2/3 innings of work.

But in those combined two outings against the Twins, Paddack gave up 12 earned runs on 15 hits, good for an 11.17 ERA with just four strikeouts and three walks across 9 2/3 innings. The good news is that the Tigers don't face the Twins again this year.

Beyond this season, however, Paddack's troubling numbers against Minnesota – one of Detroit's foremost division rivals – may actually be cause for concern. It's clear that Minnesota either has a scouting edge on the right-hander or there's some sort of difficult mental factor here. And if the Tigers want to maintain continuity in their rotation at a reasonable price, this is something they'll either have to live with or work to fix over the offseason.

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