Detroit Tigers’ Scott Harris on bullpen market at trade deadline
Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris talks July 31, 2025, about his evaluation of the bullpen market at the trade deadline.
Kyle Finnegan, traded from the Nationals to the Tigers, has a 0.00 ERA in 13â…“ innings since the trade deadline.Finnegan’s role has expanded with the Tigers, now pitching multiple innings in high-leverage situations.
KANSAS CITY, MO — There were several top relievers moved at the July 31 trade deadline, including right-hander Kyle Finnegan from the Washington Nationals to the Detroit Tigers.
The others: Mason Miller to the San Diego Padres, Jhoan Duran to the Philadelphia Phillies, David Bednar to the New York Yankees, Ryan Helsley to the St. Louis Cardinals, Griffin Jax to the Tampa Bay Rays and Camilo Doval to the Yankees.
The results after one month?
Since the trade deadline, Finnegan leads the group of top relievers with a 0.00 ERA in 13â…“ innings, followed by Miller (1.80 ERA in 10 innings), Duran (2.08 ERA in 8â…” innings), Bednar (3.18 ERA in 11â…“ innings), Doval (5.23 ERA in 10â…“ innings), Jax (7.00 ERA in nine innings) and Helsley (9.31 ERA in 9â…” innings).
“When we need it the most, he comes in and jumps right in the competition,” manager A.J. Hinch said of Finnegan, the best reliever in the Tigers’ bullpen. “This dude has been incredible at attacking the game at the biggest moments and coming through with huge performances.”
Finnegan isn’t just dominating in the ninth-inning role that he had with the Nationals, typically limited to final three outs in save situations. With the Tigers, Finnegan has been a game-changer in the biggest moments in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, oftentimes getting more than three outs.
With the Nationals, Finnegan recorded more than three outs in four of his 40 games. With the Tigers, he has already done it four times — in 11 games.
It’s official: Finnegan, who turns 34 in early September, is now a multi-inning reliever for the first time in his six-year MLB career, thanks to the Tigers.
“I think it was more of just my role with the Nationals,” Finnegan said. “I transitioned into the pure closer role. But I’ve always felt comfortable doing it and felt like I could manage it. I think being efficient is number one there. Strike-throwing, staying ahead, dictating at-bats and trying to be as efficient as possible.”
In his latest outing, Finnegan completed 1â…” innings with three strikeouts Friday, Aug. 29, en route to a 5-3 win over the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
Finnegan picked up the final two outs in the seventh inning, then returned for a scoreless eighth inning. He threw 22 pitches: 10 for two outs in the seventh and 12 for three outs in the eighth.
“He’s pitch efficient because he usually pounds the strike zone, so that helps,” Hinch said, explaining why Finnegan is capable of a multi-inning role. “He’s got a great demeanor for it, and he’s got the stuff for it, and he’s got endurance.”
For the Nationals, Finnegan had a 4.38 ERA and a 19.6% strikeout rate over 39 innings. For the Tigers, he has yet to allow a run through 13â…“ innings, carrying a 39.1% strikeout rate. To increase the strikeouts, the biggest difference between the Nationals and Tigers continues to be the pitch mix.
Finnegan keeps throwing more splitters.
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In Friday’s game, Finnegan replaced right-handed reliever Troy Melton with a runner on third base and one out in the seventh inning. He needed a strikeout against Vinnie Pasquantino, so he threw four splitters in a row — resulting in a swinging strikeout.
Before joining the Tigers, Finnegan believes he would’ve thrown more fastballs than splitters had he been in that same situation with the Nationals.
“Yeah, probably,” Finnegan said. “I mean, I don’t know, but I would say probably.”
After the Pasquantino strikeout, Finnegan threw one slider and three splitters Maikel Garcia, then one slider and one splitter to Salvador Perez.
Finnegan didn’t throw any fastballs in the seventh inning — and in the entire multi-inning outing against the Royals, he threw 16 splitters (72.7%), four fastballs (18.2%) and two sliders (9.1%). With the Nationals, he threw 65.7% fastballs, 29.6% splitters and 4.7% sliders in 40 games.
A lot has changed in a month.
“Somebody said to me after the game, ‘All splitter inning, huh?'” said Finnegan, who has thrown more splitters (51.4%) than fastballs (42.8%) since joining the Tigers. “I went back and looked, and cleaning up the seventh, I didn’t throw a fastball. Three hitters, no fastballs. In the past, it would’ve been, ‘No offspeed?’ I’m just making adjustments.”
Who mentioned no fastballs in the seventh inning?
Melton raised his hand.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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