The Tigers announced the acquisition of right-handed reliever Rafael Montero from the Braves, in exchange for minor league infielder Jim Jarvis. Detroit designated Tyler Owens for assignment in a corresponding 40-man roster move, and the Tigers will also need to clear 26-man roster space at some point before their next game.
Montero is on the move for the second time in less than four months, as Atlanta picked up the reliever in an early-April trade with Houston. That deal was mostly a matter of salary relief for the Astros, who are covering roughly $8.5MM of Montero’s $11.5MM salary for the 2025 season. Montero is still owed roughly $3.83MM for the remainder of the campaign, so while it depends on how exactly the money is being split up, he’ll still be a relatively inexpensive rental add for the Tigers during the pennant race.
Detroit has thus far added Chris Paddack to the rotation, free agent Luke Jackson to the bullpen, and now Montero its relief corps, as the Tigers have yet to full the trigger on any headline moves. Merrill Kelly is known to be on the team’s radar and third base targets Eugenio Suarez and Ke’Bryan Hayes have both been dealt already, but since the Tigers’ focus is reportedly on bullpen upgrades, they could be looking to add some arms first before turning to other matters.
How much help Montero can provide is up for debate, as he has a 5.40 ERA over 38 1/3 combined innings for the Braves and Astros, with an untenable 13.9% walk rate that stands out as one of the worst in baseball. This lack of control has overshadowed some other decent metrics (and an excellent chase rate), and it should be noted that Montero’s numbers were looking a lot better even 10 days ago. However, he has allowed eight earned runs over his last four games and 3 1/3 innings of work, sending his ERA through the roof.
It could be that the Tigers view these recent struggles as just a blip, and that Montero can right the ship and at least slightly cut back on the walks. The Tigers surely view Montero more as a middle relief option than a candidate for higher-leverage innings, and even his okay-ish strikeout numbers are a boost to a Detroit bullpen that doesn’t miss many bats.
Montero was an obvious trade chip for a Braves team looking ahead to 2026. The trade brings back Jarvis, a multi-positional infielder who was an 11th-round pick for Detroit in the 2023 draft. The University of Alabama product has spent the whole season with Double-A Erie, hitting .242/.316/.336 over 310 plate appearances while playing mostly shortstop, with a good chunk of time at second and third base.
Guys had 8 different seasons with a negative WAR. What are we doing?
Woohoo! lol
It’s just a depth piece….there are 2 more months of baseball. They’re going to need arms
True
Underwhelming
5 ERA reliever for a 25 year old AA player with a .650 career ops. I guess good depth given our options. Not losing anything of value tbh.
He’s on a minor league deal though, right? Wouldn’t take anyone off the 40-man for him.
Who cares? His intangibles look good. Why not give him a shot? Jarvis is more likely be out of baseball in 2 years than in MLB.
Probably should have been DFA’d. Maybe they threw in a packet of cookies?
I would think Detroit has 8 guys better than Raffy.
Jim Jarvis sounds like the name of a contractor or a plumber instead of a ballplayer.
Jim Jarvis & Sons Porta Johns
We clear the crap so you don’t have too
Sounds like AI to me
Pat Jarvis
Atlanta Braves 52 years ago.
“The Little Bulldog.” I grew up in Decatur Ga and watched Jarvis pitch his 7 year career w/the Braves. He retired my senior year in HS (1974) and 2 years later won election as Sheriff of DeKalb County. In 1999 he began serving a 15 month federal prison sentence for “pocketing as much as $200K in kickbacks” while serving in the job of Sheriff of DeKalb County. He pled guilty to mail fraud after a 3 year ethics investigation. No surprise he got caught up in the “swamp of corruption in DeKalb Co.” He was just another of the half dozen sheriffs before and after his term who were convicted for far worse crimes than Jarvis committed.
Did the tigers announce it themselves, or did anybody else have it first. Normally some reporter catches wind of a trade, no matter how minor.
Paddack, dobnak and Monterey?! Tigers making some impact moves this deadline
Paddack looked quite good today. Six shutout innings, three hits, no walks, 5 Ks
Taking on Dobnak was just a way to get the deal done by saving the Twins money.
I do not understand the Raphael Montero thing. We already have Keider Montero and he is better than Raphy.
Maybe it’s some kind of promotion? Collect all the Montero’s and get a free reliever.
Mitsubishi Montero. Get him.
Have any of you paid attention the last 2 months, and seen some of the guys the Tigers have put on the mound??
You need arms in the stretch run. Even guys like Montero and Paddack whose sole jobs are to eat innings, get the staff through blowouts without wasting the leverage guys, etc etc.
He’s certainly better than any number of guys we’ve brought up/claimed/trotted out. We are 1 injury away from our 7th & 8th inning guys having to pitch non leverage in the 4th inning lol
I’m going to trust AJ on this. Obviously AJ is familiar with him, and he had a couple very solid years in Houston with him.
People get caught up in basic stats, as I do too sometimes, but the Tigers are very deliberate in who they go after. Paddack is a great example–beat guys like Petzold were trashing everything about the guy—the Tigers meanwhile looked at the fact he is one of the most fly ball starters in the game, saw he throws strikes at an elite %, and trusted their staff & catchers could get the best out of him. One start is nothing to base conclusions on, but he looked pretty damn good today.
If this is the last deal DET does I’ll have questions. But I HIGHLY doubt it is.
I think Harris & Hinch have proven they have an eye for talent and know what they want. Harris’s deadlines have been rough in his young career as Pres, yet results on the field should earn DET front office some faith from the fans. There isnt a single fan, writer or sportsbook that thought one year ago this DET franchise would be where it is. Let these guys do their thing.
Stop overreacting to random inane stuff. At least wait to see if the team tied for most wins in baseball has more moves up their sleeves. Yeesh.
That was well said
AJ was fired 2 years before Montero got to Houston…
It’s doubtful that AJ has anything to do with deadline deals. He might add his 2 cents if asked, but I’d be surprised if AJ targeted Montero. His job is to get the most out of the team he is dealt.
Yeah I was agreeing more with the impatience/overreaction of fans and the fact that we need arm depth.
Like trading an old dried dog turd for a fresher one.
Soft and warm dog turds!
Thank God
For the Braves – Montero and De Los Santos out; Carrasco and Kinley in. More deals to comeI’m sure.
Paul Blackburn to Atlanta!!! I hope.
As I rock back and forth in my window ledge with my T-shirt over my knees as it’s raining outside I pray that there is more than just this incoming…
Don’t jump!
Suarez… Is that you?
Why do so many of these prospect names sound like computer generated players in MLB the Show? Proof we are living in a simulation, I guess.
J.J. Any kin to Pat Jarvis “The Little Bulldog”? Former Braves Pitcher and Sheriff?
Not a bad move. Batters are hitting just .211 against him. Strike out equal to one per inning pitched and only 3 Homer’s against. Decent set up man but not a closer. Didn’t give up much to get him.
Too many walks but maybe Fetter can fix that.
We already had this guy… Hernandez
Braves gave up nothing and got nothing in return. Sounds fair.
The Braves save some money in the deal.
They love doing that.
Lower that LTC.
🥱🥱🥱
Y.A.W.N. !
Cant wait to see whos era hits 6.00 first, rafael or keider montero…harris stop garbage pickin in the dfa dumpster already, if rafael was with any team besides the beatdown armed braves hed been dfa’d multiple times this yr
Nice contact hitter. Sometimes these guys provide value even overachieve.
Weren’t the Tigers going for a good reliever???
Braves peddling the urinal cakes again. Gotta remember to trade from your surplus.
“An excellent chase rate” how about trying to throw in the strike zone instead? Might help with that “league high” walk rate.
Getting anything for Montero was a win, even with so many contenders looking for anyone with a pulse in the bullpen.
Hard to believe the Braves got anything for him.
Thank you Detroit.