After designating the veteran reliever, the Tigers took the opportunity to flip Faedo for catching depth.
The Detroit Tigers designated veteran right-hander Alex Faedo for assignment in the wake of the Tommy Kahnle signing last week. On Monday, they found a trade partner for him, sending the 29-year-old to Tampa Bay for catcher Enderson Delgado and cash considerations. The Tigers haven’t officially signed Jack Flaherty yet, but they’ll need to open a 40-man spot for him soon as well.
The trouble with Faedo was options, or the lack of them. Without the ability to send him to the minors as needed, the Tigers’ bullpen lacked flexibility. That wouldn’t be a problem if Faedo was a key piece of the bullpen, but instead he’s just floated between spot starts, long relief, and some mop-up work in his three years in the major leagues. He’s been reasonably effective at times along the way, but never really established himself as a key piece of the puzzle.
The Tigers drafted Faedo way back in 2017 with their first round pick in the amateur draft. There was a time when the gregarious young pitcher was the unofficial spokesman for the so-called “big five” that included Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal, Matt Manning, and Franklin Perez.
After a good college career with the Florida Gators, Faedo took a long time to reach the major leagues. He might have been on track to debut in 2020, but had some arm trouble that later developed into a UCL tear and Tommy John surgery. He didn’t return to action until 2022, and while he had his moments and his slider was always a pretty good pitch for him, his pro career continued to be limited by a mediocre fastball and his vulnerability to home runs.
Now, Faedo, a Tampa native, returns to his hometown looking to finally create a stable role for himself in a major league bullpen. It will be interesting to see how the Rays handle him. I’d suspect their marching orders will involved throwing an even higher percentage of sliders than even the 39.6 percent he spun in 2024. It remains his sole plus offering, while the fourseam fastball and changeup are still a little below par.
As for Enderson Delgado, the recently turned 20-year-old catcher has a budding defensive reputation that the Tigers will like. He’s got a big arm, quick pop times, and looks likely to keep developing his blocking and framing well. On the other hand, despite being a switch-hitter with good A-ball numbers, Delgado is just a decent hitting prospect at best with very modest power potential. The Tigers should be able to turn him into a strong third catcher eventually, who can stay in Toledo a few years and fill in for the Tigers as needed. It’s unlikely he develops into a major league regular, even as a back-up, but that’s a perfectly fine trade acquisition since Faedo was getting cut either way.
As for a corresponding move to the Flaherty signing, one would think RHP Mason Englert is next on the chopping block. Ryan Kreidler or Matt Manning seem the next most likely 40-man cuts. However, it’s also possible that the Tigers might take the opportunity to trade someone like Casey Mize or Spencer Torkelson if they can make a deal that improves the Tigers’ positional group. Nothing like that really seems in the offing at this point, however.