The Detroit Tigers are fortifying the back end of their starting rotation, striking a deal within their own division in order to acquire another established arm.
According to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal, the Tigers have agreed to trade for Chris Paddack in a deal with the rival Twins. Detroit is sending Minnesota 19-year-old minor league catcher/first baseman Enrique Jimenez in the deal, according to FanSided‘s Robert Murray.
Paddack, 29, is in his seventh MLB season and has spent the last four years in Minnesota. In 2025, he owns a 4.95 ERA with 83 strikeouts, 27 walks and 17 home runs surrendered across 111 innings.
He’ll join a starting rotation in Detroit that currently consists of Cy Young favorite Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, Reese Olsen, Casey Mize and Dietrich Ennis.
The Tigers enjoyed a superb first half of the season but have struggled recently, losing eight of their last 10 games. Now sitting at 61–46 with just a few days until the trade deadline, they chose to strike early and bring in Paddack to shore up their rotation ahead of their postseason push.