I, like everybody else, probably, really, really enjoyed that run at the end of last season. Not just that they won, but how they won. It felt like the front office gamed the system, somehow, by selling at the deadline and then going on an absolute tear with the guys they called up.
Part of me wants to see it again and part of me even thinks that in this era for the MLB it might even be good strategy. The 2024 Tigers did fine without Andrew Chafin and Jack Flaherty, and the 2025 Tigers got Trey Sweeney, Chase Lee, Joseph Montalvo and Thayron Liranzo and even re-signed Andrew Chafin and Jack Flaherty.
See, with 12 teams in the playoffs, it’s easier to get to the playoffs so few are really eliminated by the deadline and it’s a pretty extreme sellers market. It’s also more of a gamble than ever to think that you’re going to go anywhere once you’ve managed to make it to the playoffs. You could add and add and then get unlucky and lose 2 of 3 and go home.
Maybe the secret formula, in this era, is to try to build a team that makes the playoffs every year to take your chances in those short series, but does it while selling and not buying at the deadline? Add guys that are unnecessary depth on short term deals in the offseason, deal them to teams that are a couple of games back of the WC in July for guys that can help you make another playoff run next year. With the run the Tigers have already had, it would almost be like the minors where the first half roster can punch a playoff ticket for the younger callups that will be on the team in August after they move on.
So part of me wants to see what would happen if the Tigers were to trade away Torres, Flaherty, Kahnle and Cobb in July. Will they still be pretty much a lock to win the AL Central even if they do? What would they be able to get for them? How big of an impact could those guys have in 2026 and 2027? Do the Tigers have the depth pieces in Toledo or on the IL to replace them and how good could those guys be?
We’d be looking at replacing Torres on the 26-man roster with Hao-Yu Lee (and more PAs for Colt Kieth). No Flaherty or Cobb would mean that the Tigers would have SGL and either Montero or Dietrich Enns (if he looks good today) as regular members of the rotation down the stretch, and really, really limited depth options in case of an injury (unless Urquidy was already doing well in rehab at that point). Kahnle has been very, very good, and the bullpen has been shaky this month as a whole, but the Tigers do have a ton of arms in the minors or on the IL that could potentially be contributors down the stretch – just like last year.
Lange, Mattison and Kohlepp are all rehabbing. Madden could be back. Brieske and Manning might get it together. Melton and Burhenn could be great out of the ‘pen and they both warrant a look before 40-man decisions are made in the offseason.
The bigger part of me would be terrified that this would all come crashing down and squander a historic opportunity for the club, and I’m pretty sure Harris and Ilitch aren’t thinking of it as a possibility at all either. I don’t expect anybody else out there thinks of this as a good idea.
Still, part of me does want to see Hao-Yu Lee or even Kevin McGonigle playing in big games in October, and being postseason heroes along with Tanner Kohlepp and Sawyer Gipson-Long. And that part of me definitely wants to see just how ridiculously stacked a farm system can be, if a team could pull this off every year.
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Bless You Boys writing staff.