Tigers Make Major Bullpen Upgrade with Kyle Finnegan Trade from Nationals

The Detroit Tigers are going all-in for a deep postseason run, and they just made a big move to fix their most glaring weakness — the bullpen. On Thursday, Detroit acquired veteran closer Kyle Finnegan from the Washington Nationals, marking their second bullpen trade in just 24 hours.

The Tigers, currently leading the American League Central, are clearly serious about tightening up the backend of games as October looms. Finnegan joins recently acquired Paul Sewald as the team continues to reinforce its pitching depth ahead of the 6 p.m. ET trade deadline.

Tigers Pay Up for Proven Closer

In exchange for Finnegan, the Nationals received two young right-handed pitchers: Josh Randall and RJ Sales. Both are promising arms but still far from major-league ready.

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Finnegan, 33, is one of only five MLB pitchers to notch 20 or more saves in each of the last three seasons. He was an All-Star in 2024, finishing that campaign with a 3.68 ERA and 38 saves over 65 appearances. This year, he’s posted a 4.38 ERA and 20 saves in 40 games for Washington.

While the ERA might look a little shaky on paper, his advanced metrics suggest he’s been better than the raw numbers show. Finnegan’s 3.60 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) indicates he’s been the victim of some bad luck or poor defense.

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He brings some serious heat too — his 96.2 mph average fastball velocity ranks in the 80th percentile league-wide. That said, his strikeout rate (19.6%) and whiff rate (21.7%) are below what you’d expect from a power arm. Still, he brings experience and a proven ability to close games — something the Tigers desperately need.

Bullpen Has Been Detroit’s Weak Spot

Let’s face it — Detroit’s bullpen has been a mess lately. Since July 1, they rank:

• 27th in ERA (5.68)
• 29th in WHIP (1.54)
• 27th in opponent OPS (.800)

Since June 1, they’ve ranked 19th in Win Probability Added, per ESPN Research. Clearly, the front office had seen enough.

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Adding both Finnegan and Sewald gives the Tigers a major boost in late-inning reliability — something they’ll need if they’re going to hold off the competition and make a serious postseason run.

Nationals Continue Their Rebuild

For Washington, this deal marks the fifth trade in just six days, as the front office focuses on flipping veterans for young talent.

Josh Randall, 22, was a third-round pick in 2023 and has shown flashes despite a 4.71 ERA in 80⅓ innings split between Low-A and High-A this season.

RJ Sales, also 22, has put up more promising numbers with a 2.98 ERA over 16 games (15 starts) in Low-A ball. He was drafted in the 10th round in 2024 and has been climbing the ranks steadily.

Neither pitcher is considered elite just yet, but both offer developmental upside for a Nationals team in full rebuild mode.

What’s Next for the Tigers?

The Tigers have been linked to other trade targets and may not be done dealing. But with Finnegan and Sewald now in the mix, they’ve transformed one of the league’s worst bullpens into a much more stable unit.

It’s a clear message to the rest of the AL: Detroit is done rebuilding — and they’re here to compete.

As the race for October heats up, Tigers fans can breathe a little easier knowing that the late innings are no longer an automatic rollercoaster ride. With Finnegan now locking things down, Detroit might just have the bullpen it needs to make some postseason noise.