Right-hander Chris Paddack is moving from Detroit’s rotation to the bullpen. Tigers manager A.J Hinch announced the development today to reporters, including Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.
Paddack, 29, was acquired from the Twins ahead of the trade deadline. The Tigers gave up catching prospect Enrique Jimenez in order to acquire Paddack and also minor leaguer Randy Dobnak from their division rival.
The Detroit rotation has taken a number of hits this year. They signed Alex Cobb in the offseason but he still hasn’t thrown a pitch for them due to hip injuries. Jackson Jobe required Tommy John surgery in June. Ty Madden has been out all year due to a shoulder strain and isn’t expected to return. The same day the Tigers acquired Paddack, Reese Olson was placed on the 60-day injured list due to his own shoulder strain.
To address those injuries, the Tigers added Paddack and also Charlie Morton at the deadline. Those two have been in the rotation alongside Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize over the past few weeks.
The Paddack acquisition received criticism at the time, as he wasn’t having a great season. He started 21 times for the Twins, logging 111 innings, allowing 4.95 earned runs per nine. His 5.7% walk rate was good but his 17.6% strikeout rate and 36.4% ground ball rate were both subpar figures. Since coming to Detroit, things have not improved. He has made six starts with a 5.40 ERA, 11.6% strikeout rate, 4.1% walk rate and 33.3% ground ball rate.
That performance will get Paddack bumped out of the rotation. What’s not known is what comes next. The Tigers have recalled Sawyer Gipson-Long to start today’s game. It’s unclear if this is a spot start or if he has a rotation gig going forward.
It’s possible they may not replace Paddack in the rotation at all. The Tigers famously deployed “pitching chaos” last year, using a large number of openers, bullpen games and bulk guys, while Skubal was at times the only real starter. They have Gipson-Long going tonight and Mize on Wednesday. They are then off on Thursday and host the White Sox for three on the weekend. After that, they are off every Monday, playing six games in a row in between each of those off-days.
They could again do a lot of bullpen games, deploying a four-man rotation while using guys like Gipson-Long, Troy Melton and Paddack for multiple innings. Cobb has been moved to a relief role as the Tigers try to get him healthy somehow, but he could perhaps cover some innings. Keider Montero is on optional assignment and could be recalled.
Ultimately, it’s not a huge deal for the club now. They are cruising to a division win, currently holding a nine-game lead over the Royals. Paddack wasn’t going to be in their playoff rotation, so they’ll try him out of the bullpen. They probably regret giving up Jimenez to a division rival, though he’s only 19 years old and it’s hard to say if he’ll eventually make it as a major leaguer down the line.
For Paddack personally, it’s less than ideal. He is a few weeks away from reaching free agency for the first time. He has shown promise earlier in his career, particularly his 2019 rookie season with the Padres. He tossed 140 2/3 innings that year with a 3.33 ERA, 26.9% strikeout rate, 5.5% walk rate and 40.2% ground ball rate.
Unfortunately, his results backed up from there. Tommy John surgery wiped out a decent chunk of his 2022-2024 seasons. He has been able to log 141 innings so far this year, the highest total of his career, but he hasn’t regained his previous strikeout stuff. He’ll now be going into free agency without a lot of momentum and will likely be looking for a bounceback pillow deal somewhere.
Photo courtesy of Junfu Han, Imagn Images
Troy Melton time??
Melton and Long are the two best options. I would think Long gets it as it’s just to eat innings. They will want Melton ready to be in the playoff bullpen. I personally would rather Melton be in the playoff rotation as the next three after Skuball have be suspect since the all star game.
Tigers just the latest team to learn firsthand that the hype that’s surrounded Paddack since he came up has been smoke and mirrors at best. Can’t believe he’s still just 29. To think he’ll get a pillow contract this winter is wildly optimistic. I think he’ll be looking at minors deals only in the coming months.
He’s 30 in January and healthy. He’ll get at least a one-year MLB deal with vesting player option for a #5. Worse pitchers have gotten them.
After today he’s also shown he can relieve either. He has two pitches and one of them isn’t good.
Yup. He got hammered by the Mets and his arch rival Pete Alonso.
After the way he pitched last night I wouldn’t be shocked for him to be DFA. Cant get outs and doesn’t throw strikes. Did you note how he was left out there just to give away any hope for a come back by the Tigers. Catcher Jake Rodgers did a better job pitching than he does. Jake throws the ball in the strike zone
They seriously need to let Melton start.
Melton is 25 IP shy of his IP mark from last season at AA. I assume they moved him to the pen recently so they can make the most of his innings in October. We shall see.
Remember when this bum was very vocal about how he was more deserving than Pete Alonso for ROY?
The Polar Bear vs. The Sheriff “discussion”, I ‘member it well!
I was just thinking about that…
Alonso handled it perfectly. Funny too.
Still burns my arse that while knowing almost certainly The Tigers are going to the playoffs, our big TRADE DEADLINE starting pitcher acquisitiions were a has-been innings-eater (Morton) and a never-was (Paddack). Normally, I have to support The Tiger’s front office because we’ve seen such success in the last year, but saving our marketable youngsters for ‘the future’ was kinda silly….THE FUTURE IS NOW!!
The “future” is the Postseason!
That was my point, actually….guess I should have used the word “postseason” in there somewhere….
After Skubal, our rotation is just flakey these daze….
Gwynning….Im still calling SD vs Detroit in the World Series dude! You and I will differ on the winner though;) Time for a 1984 rematch
Let’s go, Bummer! That’d be rad
🤙🏽😎🤙🏽
I guess the move to the bullpen is going to be a rough go. Mets cleaned his clock tonight. 1.1 innings, eight hits, six ER.
The Mets blew up Gipson-Long too (who was called up to replace Paddack).
Paddack should have been moved to the waiver wire. He really hasn’t gotten anyone out consistently since his rookie year.
Looks like they’d have been better off kicking him in the groin than moving him to the bullpen… he came in today and gave up 6 earned in 1.1 innings and 2 homers… you get what you pay for, and when you want to go cheap like they did, you get Chris Paddack.
4 outs
6 runs
2 homers
OOF
Tigers pitching is a disgrace. Besides Skubal, Finnegan and sometimes Vest they are horrific. First round knockout, second round at best in playoffs. Paddack and Long are batting practice pitchers that shouldn’t be on a major league roster. Tigers could have signed Alonso but instead flushed 15 mil down the toilet for Cobb. Had a chance to do something at trade deadline but went dumpster hunting instead. I put all the blame on the cheap s.o.b. Ilitch who won’t spend when this team is so close. Harris isn’t off the hook either as he’s made some real questionable moves. But when you have a tightwad owner it limits what you can do. You would think Mike Ilitch would have taught his boy how to win. Tiger fans get ready for a major disappointment.
Tigers have the best record in AL?
Not since the All-Star break, by any means whatsoever.
Fantastic News !!!!
I have tickets to Friday night’s game, and he was scheduled to pitch !
Now we have a chance !
Move him to the outhouse.
Feels like no one wants to accept that Paddack is a reliever that’s doing a bad impression of a starter. When he first came up, his only two above-average pitches were his four-seamer and change-up. For what it’s worth, his fastball and change-up are still good pitches, and it worked at the time. He had a pretty good rookie year. But the rest of the league has more than caught up, and he has been trying to learn another pitch with nothing truly working out well. Somone needs to move him to the bullpen, and let him only utilize 2-3 pitches.
Imagine being able to trade for Justin Verlander….on the cusp of his 3500th strike out and a nice homecoming….but trade for Chris Paddack instead.
That’s like…
Doubling down on the Cobb mistake.
Yeah, but Verlander is actually pitching and has done pretty solid since the All-Star break.
And he wouldn’t have cost much more to get than Paddack.
Should have moved him to the White Sox!
Paddack needs to be replaced immediately. I’d go with Troy Watson in his place. I haven’t seen him pitch, but his season across AA-AAA are as good as any minor leaguer in the pipeline (statistically).
Still possible additions: K.Montero, Olson, Sewald & Urquidy.
Right now I have more blind faith in them than Paddack, Sommers and Lange.
SGipson-Long has shown effectiveness for about 3 IP. I’d cut him off after that. He’s a decent starter for a bullpen day. K.Montero & Olson are ok until 3rd time through the lineup. Zero faith for 3rd AB.
Paddack and RMontero are trustworthy for about 1 IP.
However it ends up, AJ is going to have to do some serious mixing and matching pitchers to get through a playoff game/series/postseason.
Paddock is one of them dudes sabermetrics always says he should be better than his performance. But gradually his FIP is meeting up with his mediocre ERA.
Giant killer Chris Paddock.