PHILADELPHIA — Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch sat in his hotel room and followed the 2025 MLB trade deadline coverage.
He spent all day making calls.
“First off, across the game, that was crazy,” Hinch said Friday, Aug. 1, reflecting on July 31’s moves. “Every minute, it felt like another trade was happening and guys were changing teams. There was a ton of activity — ourselves included.”
The Tigers could’ve acquired one elite player, such as reliever David Bednar, who was traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates to the New York Yankees. Instead, the Tigers acquired a bunch of players, despite some flaws.
It was quantity over quality.
By 6 p.m. Thursday, the Tigers had acquired a total of eight players, ranging from four days before to the final minute. The eight includes five MLB pitchers: starters Chris Paddack and Charlie Morton and relievers Kyle Finnegan, Rafael Montero and Paul Sewald.
President of baseball operations Scott Harris and general manager Jeff Greenberg worked from Detroit, but Hinch stayed with his players and coaches in Philadelphia ahead of a three-game series against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
The three of them stayed in contact.
“Obviously, there are a lot of different ways to get better,” Hinch said. “We did with giving us a lot of options to use on the mound and things that can happen over time in the next two months to give us the best chance to do what our first goal was — to win this division and get into the playoffs, and hopefully, win a World Series.”
Additionally, Hinch has been in contact with the newest players acquired by the Tigers – Finnegan, Montero, Morton and Sewald – either in person or on the phone.
To win with these players, Hinch needs to know them better than anyone in the organization. For example, understanding the tendencies of pitchers when they’re tired could be the difference between a win and a loss.
“I spent most of yesterday and today just trying to learn the most that we can about the guys that we got,” Hinch said. “The fastest way I can get to know them is watch a ton of video, talk to them about their lives and their careers.”
The biggest addition is Finnegan.
The 33-year-old immediately joins the Tigers’ bullpen as a reliever for high-leverage situations, along with fellow right-handers Will Vest and Tommy Kahnle. He had a 4.38 ERA with 14 walks and 32 strikeouts across 39 innings in 40 games with the Washington Nationals, securing 20 saves in 26 chances.
Although Finnegan has 86 saves — the third-most among MLB relievers — over the past three seasons, the Tigers plan to use him in non-save situations.
“I told him one of the reasons we’ve been really good is we’ve got guys that are all-in,” Hinch said. “He reminded me that he’s all-in from the get-go. He’s willing to do anything. We’re going to use him when the game matters most.”
Finnegan sounds like a team-first player.
He will pitch in any situation.
“I’m not really thinking about the role too much,” Finnegan said before Friday’s game. “They got a really good thing going here, so I’m just looking to answer the phone when my name is called and get ready and go in there and get as many outs as they ask me to get. Whether that’s the fifth or the ninth, it doesn’t really matter to me. I’m just trying to help the team win.”
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Kyle Finnegan, Rafael Montero arrive. What about Charlie Morton?
Along with Finnegan, Montero joined the Tigers for Friday’s game against the Phillies, with both available to pitch.
“As I entered my hotel room, I opened the door and got the call that I was traded,” Montero said before Friday’s game. “It was a long night for us to get here, but the most important thing is that we’re here already.”
“I’m ready to go,” Finnegan said.
But Morton hasn’t joined the Tigers — not yet.
The 41-year-old is scheduled to show up Saturday, Aug. 2, before starting Sunday, Aug. 3, in the finale of the three-game series against the Phillies.
“That was fun to reconnect with him,” said Hinch, who managed Morton with the Astros in 2017-18. “He’s going to spend the day getting his family situation. Anybody that knows Charlie knows that family is really important to him, so we give him an extra day. His presence alone will be really good for this team.”
Chase Lee optioned
The Tigers opened roster spots for Finnegan and Montero by designating left-hander Dietrich Enns for assignment (before trading him to the Baltimore Orioles for cash considerations) and optioning right-handed reliever Chase Lee to Triple-A Toledo.
Lee, 26, has a 4.10 ERA with nine walks and 36 strikeouts over 37⅓ innings in 32 relief appearances. He posted a 13.50 ERA in his last 6⅔ innings, following a 2.05 ERA in his first 30⅔ innings.
It’s his first MLB season.
“Continuing to pound the strike zone,” Hinch said. “Leverage is huge for him with a funky look, a different arm angle, strike one matters a ton, getting to two strikes matters a ton. The longest the at-bats went, the more the hitter becomes familiar with that angle. He should start to believe that he’s a big leaguer because he’s getting some experience, whether it’s in leverage or non-leverage, that should make him feel more comfortable every time he gets up here.”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers A.J. Hinch on trade pickups: ‘Just trying to learn’