The Detroit Tigers are likely to be buyers again at the trade deadline as -- with the exception of the series against the Minnesota Twins right before the All-Star break -- they have been playing quite well since Miguel Cabrera's injury. With Alex Gordon of the Kansas City Royals getting injured, the Cleveland Indians being known for second-half collapses, and a revived Minnesota club that does not have much experience past Mauer in vying for a postseason berth, the Tigers could still come out on top in the A.L. Central.
If the Tigers buy, they would be much more likely to complete their goal of winning another division title. This should be done in a specific way, however, and that is by not acquiring a starting pitcher but, instead, by getting another reliever.
It could be argued that if Joe Nathan were the team's closer this season, the Tigers might not have won as many games as they have so far with Joakim Soria in the role. While Nathan had his worst outing that since the 2014 postseason (in which he pitched quite terribly all series against the Baltimore Orioles) when he faced the Twins before the break, he still has shown that he can be the Tigers' closer if necessary.
Soria should not have to be the Tigers' closer. The Tigers should pursue any relief pitcher on the market that they can leading up to July 31. One of the best names rumored to be on the market is Aroldis Chapman of the Cincinnati Reds.
Chapman is a flamethrower with speed not seen often in baseball. He touched 103 mph at the All-Star game, and nearly every one of his fastballs in almost every game he appears in hits 100+. He also has solid, but not elite, breaking pitches. The best part for Tigers fans is that Chapman is a lefty.
The only reliable bullpen arms this season for the Tigers have been Soria, lefty Blaine Hardy, who is heavily underused by manager Brad Ausmus, and Al Alburquerque, who has recently struggled. With Joba Chamberlain and Tom Gorzellany finally being sent down last week and Bruce Rondon getting better with more innings, the bullpen is on an upward trajectory. However, the Tigers still need at least one more bullpen piece for their postseason run.
With the exception of David Price, Tigers starters have not done well. What makes Price's stats stand out against the other starters' are that he generally goes deeper into games. This means there is less of a chance (if any) that the bullpen blows the games he pitches in.
Someone like Kyle Ryan, for example, might go only five innings, giving up one hit, yet the bullpen could blow it for him over the next three or four innings -- if it takes even that long to do so. Anibal Sanchez is a similar example. He has pitched long into several games this season, including a couple complete games. The Tigers are more likely to win a game he pitches deep into than one he leaves early.
Here is a another reason why the Tigers should acquire a bullpen arm rather than a starter: the postseason. In the playoffs this past October vs. the Orioles, the three Tigers' starters each gave solid outings. Price, Sanchez, and Justin Verlander each could have won their games; however, with the combination of Chamberlain and Soria, the Tigers not only blew leads, but they completely imploded.
The Tigers ended up getting swept by a team whose bullpen shut the Tigers down in late innings with perfect outings from trade deadline acquisition Andrew Miller, a former Tiger and someone the Tigers almost reacquired shortly before the Orioles swooped in and got him from the Boston Red Sox last season.
If the Tigers could pull off a trade for someone like Chapman, teams such as the division rival Kansas City Royals might not have as big of an advantage in later innings as they currently do. With Chapman, the Tigers might need only one extra run for the bullpen to hold the lead in case the bullpen underperforms and gives up multiple runs in yet another outing.
While the Tigers could use a consistent fifth starter, most managers use only three or four starters in a postseason. The Tigers have four starters who could pitch in the playoffs. The Tigers have proven they can score runs -- even with Cabrera out of the lineup -- and do not really need another bat yet -- except for another potential bench player.
The bullpen is the most underrated part of a team, and in the case in which Ausmus takes out a pitcher too early (which he does too often), a trade for a reliever might give him an extra option to turn to when the Tigers need a hold or save in later innings.
