The Detroit Tigers are one of the better teams in Major League Baseball, but have struggled a bit in their past 10. For a Tigers team that’s 46-27, going 5-5 over their last 10 and losing games to teams they shouldn’t be losing to is a bit disappointing.
They lost a game to the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday, dropping an 11-1 ball game in the second game of a three-game set before losing the series on Sunday.
Games like this simply can’t happen if they want to win it all.
The Tigers understand that if they want to be the team they’re looking to be, it’ll start on the mound. A.J. Hinch has won at the highest level throughout his career, and he understands that pitching wins championships.
For that reason and many others, over the next month and a half, the Tigers are expected to be interested in adding at least one bullpen arm.
Searching for potential options, Kenneth Teape of Sports Illustrated recently linked the Tigers to a left-hander, Aroldis Chapman of the Boston Red Sox, who many believe could be available if Boston doesn’t turn things around.
“The Boston Red Sox are one of several teams that sit in the middle of the pack, meaning the next few weeks will determine their fate…
“If things don’t turn around, one of the players who will be popular on the trade market is the veteran reliever who has put together a strong season,” he wrote.
Despite being much older, at 37 years old, Chapman has still demonstrated the ability to perform at the highest level. He currently has a 1.55 ERA and has struck out 39 hitters in 29.0 innings.
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Depending on what the Tigers would have to give up in this type of trade, there’s reason to believe it could work out for both sides.
They need a lockdown reliever, and Chapman would be just that.
