Latest news with #Detroit Tigers
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Struggling Detroit Tigers need to 'get our swagger back' amid rough stretch, mental lapses
PITTSBURGH — The Detroit Tigers have lost eight of their last nine games. The rough stretch for the Tigers reached a new low point in an 8-5 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, July 22, at PNC Park, with several mental mistakes on display. A struggling offense and a tired bullpen are responsible for most of the recent losses, but in this case, the Tigers looked sloppy for the first time in a long time. "We had a really bad mental game today," manager A.J. Hinch said after Tuesday's loss. "That's really rare for this team. We paid for it. They're just mistakes that we know we can fix, and we will fix. We will be better." COMING SOON: Kerry Carpenter injury update: Tigers slugger starts rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo Maybe it's trying to do too much. Maybe it's trying too hard to be perfect. "Maybe it's this stretch," said first baseman Spencer Torkelson, who made the worst mental mistake. "We don't want a game like this to happen with all these mess ups, but if it's going to happen, we're going to use it as a time to reset and refocus ourselves." The third inning told the story of the entire game. Oneil Cruz hit a rocket that should've been caught by center fielder Parker Meadows, but he lost the ball in the sun. Ke'Bryan Hayes followed with a chopper to third baseman Zach McKinstry, whose throw eluded an outstretched Torkelson at first base for a throwing error. As the ball rolled into foul territory and the runner advanced to third, Torkelson jogged after it without urgency. Cruz noticed the lack of effort and took advantage, sprinting home to score. "Everyone knows that was terrible," Torkelson said. "I just, mentally, didn't even look. He's aggressive, and I got to know that after that play, he's thinking I'm falling asleep, and I did." The mistake cost the Tigers one run. In the dugout, Torkelson apologized to his teammates and coaches. "He took the end of the play off," Hinch said. "He felt terrible. He just fell asleep. He was very accountable. He's not a guy that generally has those mistakes." The other mistakes in Tuesday's loss: Wenceel Pérez failed to touch home plate on what should've been a sacrifice fly. A strikeout by reliever Carlos Hernández skipped to the backstop and allowed the batter to reach safely, leading to a three-run inning. Catcher Jake Rogers tried to throw out a runner stealing third base, but the ball deflected off the batter's bat. It was the Tigers' worst performance in 102 games. "We are a much better team and a cleaner team than what we've shown," Hinch said. "We've been trending with some struggles that we know we can fix. We know we can be better. This group is confident, but we got to wear it while we're going through it. The reality is, we haven't played our best, and it's cost us." [ MUST LISTEN: Make "Days of Roar" your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ] Every player who spoke to reporters after Tuesday's game didn't hesitate to take responsibility — no excuses — for the sloppiest game of this rough stretch. "I just look at myself," said right-hander Casey Mize, who allowed five runs (four earned runs) on 10 hits across four innings, as his ERA jumped from 2.63 to 3.40 in his last two starts. "I'm not getting them off the field quick enough and not setting the tone early and not giving us a chance to win. It's on me." "We're struggling," said Rogers, who hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning. "We just need to clean up the hustle. We're a hustle team, and we have fun. Once we get both those things back, we're going to hit the ground running." "We definitely lost some focus on those plays," said Torkelson, who had one single and two doubles, "and that's part of it, but if it's going to happen, it's a fine time to let it happen now and then refocus and ball out for the next 50-whatever games." There's no reason to hit the panic button. Not yet, at least. The Tigers (60-42) have the third-best record in MLB, trailing only the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs. Not only do the Tigers have the American League's best record, but they're also better than the Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros, among many others. A CF PROBLEM: Tigers' Parker Meadows 'trying to find a groove' as playing time decreases In the AL Central, the first-place Tigers on July 8 had a 14-game lead within the division. Two weeks later, that lead over the Cleveland Guardians is down to nine games — a five-game swing in the standings over nine games. "I'm just going to look at the long-term view: We're still leading the division by a ton, and we have 60 wins," Mize said. "That's probably more so who we are than the last 10 games or so. That's kind of how I view it." The Tigers were the first MLB team to achieve 60 wins, just like they were the first team to reach the 30, 40, 50 and 55-win milestones — doing so despite a 14-17 record since June 14 and a 1-8 record since July 9. The players expect to bounce back. "We could easily be the first team to 70 wins," Torkelson said. "We just got to get our swagger back. That comes with the refocus. We're a really good team. We just got to play like it." Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@ or follow him @EvanPetzold. Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at Order your copy of 'Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Tigers!' by the Free Press at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers expect to reset after mental lapses in loss vs Pirates
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tigers get NL slugger is proposed trade
The trade deadline is less than three weeks away from today. The decision to buy or sell at the deadline is coming up quickly and some teams still need to make that decision. For the Detroit Tigers, it is more than likely going to be an easy choice. The Tigers enter today at 59-35 and at the top of AL. There is a good chance that if Detroit is serious about going for its second ever World Series then it will be buying at the deadline. With the position the Tigers are in, they may as well go all in. Advertisement In a Bleacher Report story from Tim Kelly, Kelly listed out 10 trades before the deadline that could strengthen teams contending for a postseason run. One of the trades that Kelly names is the Tigers acquiring Arizona Diamondbacks star slugger Eugenio Suarez. 'If the 33-year-old is available, he will likely garner interest from a slew of contending teams, such as the Yankees, Cubs and New York Mets. But he makes as much sense for Detroit as anybody,' Kelly said. 'Suarez would give what's still a young Tigers team with a veteran presence in its lineup, but he wouldn't block Jace Jung from potentially getting another shot at the hot corner in 2026.' Trading for Suarez would mean that Tigers are not just getting a veteran, but a power hitter. He has lit up the scoreboard and filled in the stat sheets all season, putting up 29 home runs and 75 RBIs before the All-Star break. Pairing Suarez with hitters like Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson would make Detroit a bigger offensive threat in October.
New York Times
10-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
If Twins sell at trade deadline, getting value for impending free agents is first step
MINNEAPOLIS — Three weeks before the trade deadline, the Minnesota Twins are below .500, with playoff odds hovering around 20 percent. Their path to a division title is all but closed due to the Detroit Tigers lapping the field, and the Twins sit seventh in line for three wild-card spots. All of which would seemingly suggest the Twins are much more likely to be sellers than buyers. But there's a big difference between lightly selling and aggressively selling, and the lame-duck owners and in-flux front office may not be ready to dive fully into the latter approach quite yet. Advertisement However, even if the Twins are merely dipping their toes in the seller's pool, it would make sense to trade impending free agents for future value. There are six, none of whom seems likely to be part of next year's team. Why lose them for nothing when the playoffs are a long shot even with them? Here are the Twins' six impending free agents, ranked in order of expected trade value and anticipated league-wide interest: One of the best minor-league signings in team history, Castro's versatility, speed and underrated bat have made him a lineup fixture in three straight seasons. He leads the Twins in games played (351) and plate appearances (1,313) since 2023, hitting .255/.340/.403 for a 111 wRC+ and 6.6 fWAR. Castro can fit almost any team because he's a switch hitter with at least 50 career starts at seven positions, and he's cheap, with less than $3 million left on his deal. Being an All-Star last season gives him some name recognition, but most suitors are likely to see him as a complementary piece. Castro is just 28 years old despite being in his seventh big-league season, so some interested teams could view him as a longer-term addition and try to work out a post-trade extension. His trade value won't be massive, but an above-average regular who can play anywhere shouldn't be hard to move. HE WILLI HIT ANOTHER HOME RUN! — Minnesota Twins (@Twins) May 31, 2025 Much like Carlos Santana last season, Bader has proven to be a great free-agent signing on a one-year, $6.25 million deal, thanks to fantastic defense and better-than-expected offense. He has a career-high 117 wRC+ at age 31, hitting .254/.331/.443 with 11 homers and eight steals in 81 games. Bader has a career 93 wRC+ and was last an above-average hitter in 2021, so teams may assume he'll come back down to earth offensively. There's a reason the Twins were able to sign him cheaply to fill a part-time role five months ago, after all. But the amazing defense isn't going anywhere. Advertisement As a right-handed batter with a quality track record against lefties, Bader could fit into a traditional platoon role, offering coverage in all three outfield spots. But his biggest appeal comes from being a legit center fielder with a competent bat, a combination that's often hard to find at the deadline. BADER MANIA IN MINNEAPOLIS! — (@twinstv) July 6, 2025 Paddack is making $7.5 million for the final season of an extension signed while he was rehabbing from Tommy John surgery in 2023. And in what's been the story of his entire career, the 29-year-old right-hander has shown flashes of upside while being a below-average starter overall. This year's 4.64 ERA is similar to last year's 4.99, and Paddack's strikeout rate has plummeted to a career-worst 6.4 per nine innings. He's still capable of impressive starts, but too many homers and too few missed bats make it unlikely contenders would see him as more than back-of-the-rotation filler. Of course, even back-end starters can draw interest at the deadline, when demand outweighs supply. However, his lengthy injury history could make Paddack less appealing as a stretch-run addition. He's already at 95 innings and hasn't reached 110 since 2019, his rookie season. Back for a second Twins stint on a one-year, $3 million deal, Coulombe has pitched very well in a medium-leverage role focused on facing left-handed hitters and rescuing other pitchers from mid-inning jams. In addition to a 0.71 ERA in 25 1/3 innings, he's stranded 20 of 24 inherited runners. Left-handed relievers are always in midseason demand, and Coulombe has a 2.41 ERA over the past five seasons. However, he's a soft-tossing 35-year-old with a total of just 153 innings during that time, and he missed a month earlier this season with a forearm strain. Advertisement Coulombe would be an easy fit in any bullpen and in any clubhouse, but he's unlikely to be any contender's first choice for an upgrade. Still, turning a $3 million investment into 25 1/3 innings of strong relief and a decent prospect would be a positive outcome for the Twins. France is an odd case from a trade value standpoint. On the positive side of the ledger, he's come up with lots of big hits for the Twins, batting .325 with runners in scoring position and .414 in high-leverage spots. He has 42 RBIs, which is second on the team behind Byron Buxton (53). On the other hand, he's a 30-year-old first baseman whose .357 slugging percentage and 89 wRC+ are well below average for the position. It was a similar story last season, when he slugged just .365 with a 93 wRC+ while playing through a fractured foot. And he's not a standout fielder. It's unlikely many contending teams would view France as an upgrade at first base or designated hitter, but he could hold appeal as a veteran bench bat. He's making just $1 million, so money won't be an issue, but that also shows how limited league-wide interest was in France as a free agent. Ty France gives the @Twins ANOTHER #walkoff win! — MLB (@MLB) May 24, 2025 Vázquez is 34 and batting .170 in the final season of a three-year, $30 million deal, so league-wide interest figures to land somewhere between minuscule and non-existent. His offense has slipped every season, and his .571 OPS in a Twins uniform is the fourth-worst in team history. But here's the thing: If the Twins continue to play Vázquez regularly, giving him 44 starts behind the plate compared to 47 for Ryan Jeffers, then maybe there's another team that also thinks his defense and leadership still cancel out the offensive ineptitude. He had plenty of suitors as a 2023 free agent. Catchers are always in short supply at the trade deadline, and the bar for a passable veteran backup might be low enough for Vázquez to clear, but the return will be minimal at best. It's possible the Twins could save a chunk of the $4 million he's still owed or eat that money to get a marginal prospect. (Photo of Ty France and Willi Castro on May 30: Stephen Brashear / Getty Images)
