Analysis: Finnegan's return strengthens the Tigers' bullpen in a significant two-year deal

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00:00Alright folks, let me break down some significant news for you regarding the Detroit Tigers bullpen.

00:06The Tigers' reshuffled relief corps is about to receive a major boost.

00:10Here's what's happening. This past Tuesday, the Detroit Tigers reached an agreement

00:14to bring relief pitcher Kyle Finnegan back to the team. The deal, according to sources who spoke to

00:19MLB, is for two years and worth $19 million. It's important to note, this is pending a physical

00:25examination, so that's the standard final step. The Tigers' organization itself has not yet

00:30officially confirmed the agreement, which was first reported by the sports outlet The Athletic.

00:35Now, let's give you some background on Finnegan's journey. The 34-year-old right-handed pitcher

00:40originally joined the Tigers at the trade deadline this past season. He came from the Washington

00:45Nationals, where he had spent the first 5-1-2 years of his major league career, and accumulated 108

00:51saves. Although he was born in Detroit, he was raised in Texas. When he arrived in Detroit,

00:58he didn't immediately step into the primary closer's role. Instead, he seamlessly integrated

01:03into manager A.J. Hinch's strategy of mixing and matching relievers. His performance down the

01:09stretch was impressive. In 16 regular season appearances, he recorded 4 saves. Over 18 innings

01:16pitched, he allowed only three runs on nine hits. Perhaps most notably, he posted an excellent 23-4

01:23strikeout-to-walk ratio. This period in Detroit was arguably one of the best stretches of Finnegan's

01:29career. It featured a significant jump in his strikeout rate, especially for a pitcher whose

01:34history showed an average of less than one strikeout per inning. At the end of the season, both Finnegan

01:40and the Tigers' management expressed mutual interest in continuing their partnership. However,

01:45Finnegan's strong finish made him a sought-after free agent in a relief pitcher market that moved

01:50very quickly this offseason. After other top free agent closers, Ryan Helsley, Devin Williams,

01:56and Edwin Diaz signed their own lucrative multi-year contracts, Finnegan emerged as one of the premier

02:02relievers still available. This signing is notable for the Tigers' recent history. Kyle Finnegan is now the

02:09first free agent reliever to agree to a multi-year contract with Detroit since Andrew Chafin signed a

02:15two-year $13 million deal after the 2021 season. You might recall that Chafin's contract included an

02:22opt-out clause, which he used after the 2022 season. Looking further back, before Chafin, the last such

02:29deal was with Mark Lowe, who signed a two-year contract just before the 2016 season. So what does the

02:35bullpen picture look like now? With this move, Finnegan rejoins key returning members like Will

02:41Vest, Tyler Holton, Breenan Hanafi, and Brant Herter. The indication from the team's perspective

02:48is that they are not done. The Tigers are expected to continue looking for additional relievers

02:54to strengthen their trusted group for high-pressure, high-leverage situations in games.

02:59Where do you think the Tigers should focus next to solidify their bullpen?

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