These 5 Tigers simply can’t be on the roster June 1 after tragic starts

There is no MLB team that should trade for Jack Flaherty right now. The Tigers starting pitcher has tanked his trade value and then some. But Flaherty is not alone. If Detroit president of baseball operations Scott Harris hope to salvage something from this season, he’ll have to make difficult decisions in early August. That is, unless the team Harris assembled rebounds quickly.

I’ve watched far too much Tigers baseball to assume they have a run in them. The pitching staff is really bad, especially without Tarik Skubal. Casey Mize is coming back, which could help, but the fact remains Harris built a team that couldn’t withstand an injury to its ace. He deserves criticism for doing so. At the same time, don’t expect the Tigers to go down without a fight.

Jack Flaherty can’t be a regular in the Tigers rotation

Flaherty has an ERA well over five. I don’t particularly care if the Tigers trade him for spare parts, or DFA him entirely. At one point, this former Tigers frontline starting pitcher was among the most-desired trade assets in all of baseball. He’s been anything but that, and a borderline headcase on the mound this season.

The Tigers right-hander has an absurd number of walks and can’t seem to keep runners off the basepaths. He is the worst starting pitcher in a rotation that is lacking Tarik Skubal. Again, I’m not sure why any contender would trade for Flaherty, but perhaps he could get another chance on a minor-league deal if Detroit lets him walk.

At this point, all he can do is hurt the Tigers chances. Every start is a nightmare, and just as AJ Hinch is about to give up on him, Flaherty ropes us back in with a vintage performance. I’m done.

Kenley Jansen hasn’t been a consistent force in the Tigers bullpen

Jansen hasn’t been bad this season! His ERA suggests he can be a late-inning relief pitcher for a contender, as does his resume. If I were Harris, though, I’d consider trading Jansen before there is a run on relief pitcher trades in July. Jansen doesn’t impact the Tigers chances at contending this season. The bullpen, for the most part, looks fairly similar to the 2025 season. Jansen was an add-on, and an unusual one at that since the Tigers typically thrive in a closer by committee.

The longtime closer passed Lee Smith for third all-time in saves by an MLB pitcher earlier this year. He still has a lot left to give. Considering where the Tigers are in the AL Central standings (it’s not good!), trading Jansen for prospect capital makes far more sense than keeping him.

If the Tigers turn their season around, it will not be because of a singular force in their bullpen. Next!

Enmanuel De Jesus belongs in the minor leagues

The Tigers bullpen isn’t bad, but they can ill-afford pitchers who aren’t adding much to the mix. De Jesus is a fun story, but he has a 7.31 ERA in 16 innings pitched so far this season. If he has options remaining (which he ought to), Harris should consider sending him down for some fine-tuning. Sure, the stuff is electric, but it doesn’t mean much if the Tigers aren’t giving him opportunities.

De Jesus would be a phenomenal depth stash in Toledo, where he’d receive more consistent opportunities and perhaps rebuild his reputation. Right now, he looks like a left-handed specialist who just can’t cut it in the majors. The Tigers bullpen is rightly-heavy, so they’ll have to find a solution to that issue when sending down a lefty. De Jesus ain’t it.

Wenceel Perez is atrocious

Perez has been a thorn in the Tigers side for far too long. Every now and then, he’ll flash a little power, but he’s hitting under the Mendoza line. Perez has received plenty of opportunities, and once Kerry Carpenter returns, there’s little reason for Hinch to lean on him so heavily barring a massive improvement.

Just a week ago, Perez committed an error that all but cemented a loss to the Kansas City Royals. His WAR is nonexistent, and Perez doesn’t offer much of an advantage in the field, either. He’s in the majors due to name brand only, and Hinch’s borderline obsession with giving him opportunities.

That has to end soon. If the Tigers are going to reach their full potential in 2026, they can ill-afford rostering players like Perez, who don’t help them win. It really is that simple.

Zack Short offers the Tigers little in the lineup

Short is the Tigers backup shortstop. They could do a lot worse in the field, but all he is doing is taking at-bats away from Kevin McGonigle. Once Javier Baez returns, the Tigers should have an answer if they want to give McGonigle time off. Unlike Short, Baez or (insert other option) won’t hit well under the Mendoza line. The Tigers lineup is enough of a black hole as is. Why add to the problem?

Again, these are emergency moves. Tigers ownership gave Harris some money to spend for a change this winter. In doing so, he lost his arbitration case with Skubal and signed free agents like Framber Valdez and Jansen. What he failed to address was lineup depth, especially in the infield.

For some odd reason, the Tigers trust players who’ve earned relatively little with important roles. While Riley Greene, Gleyber Torres, Baez and Carpenter have history on their side, the same cannot be said of Short.

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