closer Kyle Finnegan Ended up being one of the star acquisitions of the 2025 trade deadline. The right-hander was one of the most dominant relievers in the game after joining the Tigers from the Nationals. Finnegan is now a free agent but is open to returning to Detroit, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. “It means a lot to me to be traded here. I unlocked a lot of things that will help me move forward in my career, which is a testament to the people this organization has,” Finnegan said.
Finnegan will officially become a free agent after tonight’s World Series. As Petzold noted, he’s not eligible to sign with a new team for five days, giving the Tigers an exclusive window to negotiate with him. Finnegan signed a one-year, $6MM contract with the Wizards last offseason.
Detroit signed Finnegan on July 31, trading away the right-hander prospect Josh Randall and RJ sales Back to Washington. He immediately led the Tigers’ closing committee and recorded saves in his first three games. Finnegan was not allowed to play in his first month at the club. His strikeout rate jumped from 19.6 percent in 39 innings with the Nationals to 34.8 percent in 18 innings with the Tigers.
For Finnegan, things started out much the same way in the postseason. He scored three scoreless innings in the wild-card game to earn a crucial series win. Things are not going well for ALDS. Finnegan was charged with allowing a run in three of four games against Seattle, including the game-tying run in the seventh inning of Game 5.
Washington received a flyer from Finnegan as a minor league free agent after the 2019 season. He received a major league contract and quickly became an important part of their late-inning relief corps. Finnegan made 108 saves over the past five seasons with the Nationals. In 2024, he slammed the door a career-high 38 times and was named an All-Star. Surprisingly, Washington did not invite Finnegan after that season, only signing him to a one-year contract in February of this year.
Finnegan hasn’t released numbers closer to closing, or at least not before coming to Detroit. He typically struck out every inning and controlled the numbers well, but allowed too many home runs. Even in a strong 2024 campaign, Finnegan ranked first in average exit velocity and second in hard hit rate.
Detroit completely changed Finnegan’s pitching mix, favoring split balls over fastballs. He used the heater only 40.9 percent of the time in the Tigers’ games. That number has never been lower than 67.6% all season. This year, Finnegan’s swing shooting percentage jumped from a mediocre 9.2% in Washington to an elite 14.3% in Detroit.
The new approach could help Finnegan find more suitors in free agency than he did last offseason. However, he will face a lot of competition. Devin Williams, Ryan Helsleyand Raisel Iglesias They are all big names in the market. Edwin Diaz and Robert Suarez You can join them if they opt out of their current contract. Emilio Pagan, Luke Weaverand Sean Armstrong Going through peak season. Kenley Johnson and Kirby Yates Has a long track record as a strong reliever.
If Finnegan doesn’t return, Detroit could replace him with several internal options. Will vest He played a closer role for much of the season and was paired with Finnegan after the trade. Taylor Holden, Brennan Hanifiand Brandt Hurt All excel in their multifaceted roles. former terminator Jason Foley and Alex Lange Stay in the organization. free agent Tommy Kahnle If he doesn’t re-sign, this will be the only notable loss in the bullpen.
