DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers traded pitcher Alex Faedo, who they were about to lose anyway, for a young catching prospect.
Faedo, 29, was designated for assignment last week when the Tigers signed free agent right-handed reliever Tommy Kahnle. If he wasn’t traded, Faedo would have been exposed to waivers and almost certainly would have been picked up by another team.
But on Monday, the Tigers sent Faedo to the Tampa Bay Rays for minor-league catcher Enderson Delgado and cash.
Alex Faedo stats with Tigers
Faedo pitched fairly well for the Tigers at times over the past three seasons, but he also battled injuries and inconsistency.
Last year, Faedo had an excellent 31.1% whiff rate and also suppressed hard contact. In 57.1 innings, he posted a 3.61 ERA and 1.34 WHIP.
In 175.2 innings over his whole Tigers career, Faedo owned a 4.51 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and 8 strikeouts per nine innings.
Faedo’s calling hard is a slider that generates whiffs at a ridiculous 43% rate. But he struggled to find a second above-average offering in Detroit, which made him a bit volatile.
Tigers acquire Enderson Delgado
In return for Faedo, the Tigers acquired Delgado, a 20-year-old switch hitting catcher from Venezuela.
Delgado didn’t hit at all in his first taste of the minors in 2023, but last year was significantly better. In 56 games at Single-A Charleston, Delgado hit .255 with a .382 on-base percentage. He hit 14 doubles and four homers while striking out 54 times and walking 28 times.
This is a classic Scott Harris addition: a switch hitter at a premium position who can get on base at a high clip.
Considering who they were trading and the lack of leverage, this seems like a nice deal for the Tigers. They’ve shown an ability to develop minor leaguers with a similar offensive skillset during the Harris regime.
Tigers offseason moves
It’s been an offseason of steady improvement for the Tigers after their surprising sprint to the playoffs late in 2024.
Jack Flaherty and Alex Cobb have been added to the starting rotation, and Kahnle, the changeup savant, brings needed swing-and-miss to the bullpen.
The Tigers also added second baseman Gleyber Torres on a one-year deal, bumping Colt Keith over to first.
All attention has turned to the Alex Bregman sweepstakes, which could push the Tigers over the top in terms of World Series contention. But even without Bregman, it’s been a productive offseason.