Detroit’s two-year deal with Kyle Finnegan is worth $19 million. Duane Burleson / Getty Images
ORLANDO, Fla. — The Detroit Tigers are nearing a two-year deal worth $19 million with right-handed relief pitcher Kyle Finnegan, league sources told The Athletic.
Finnegan, who came to the Detroit Tigers from the Washington Nationals at last season’s trade deadline, expressed interest in re-signing with the Tigers beginning only an hour after Detroit’s loss to the Seattle Mariners in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series.
“Getting traded over here was big for me,” Finnegan had said. “I unlocked a lot of things that will help me moving forward in my career, and that’s a testament to the people that this organization has, and I can’t say enough about the staff and the players. Just top to bottom, it was a first-class experience.”
Finnegan had a 1.50 ERA in 18 regular-season innings for the Tigers after the trade deadline, though he did miss time with an adductor strain and surrendered earned runs in three straight playoff appearances against the Mariners.
Finnegan’s time in Detroit, though, was mostly a resounding success. He came to the Tigers at the deadline in exchange for minor-league pitchers Josh Randall and R.J. Sales. He had spent the bulk of the previous 4 1/2 seasons as a closer for the Nationals, saving 38 games and making the All-Star team in 2024.
Whether Finnegan can sustain the swing-and-miss ability he displayed in his brief time with the Tigers will be central in determining whether this next chapter in Detroit is a success. Finnegan, who was born in Detroit but mostly raised in Texas, upped the usage of his splitter from 29.6 percent before the trade to 54.8 percent after. His whiff rate soared as a result, jumping from 21.7 percent with the Nationals to 31.3 percent with the Tigers.
Finnegan rejoins a bullpen that collectively finished ranking 29th in whiff rate last season. He joins Will Vest as a potential ninth-inning option in a Tigers bullpen that has historically operated without a set closer. Along with left-hander Tyler Holton, Finnegan gives the Tigers another stable and proven presence in a bullpen that could still be in search of more help.