MLB trade grades: Tigers don't find the pitching help they need in puzzling move

Amid a stretch of 12 losses in their last 14 games that's seen them bumped from the top spot in the American League, fans of the Detroit Tigers have been begging president Scott Harris to start making some moves with the July 31 trade deadline looming. Detroit's offense seemed most in need of help, especially with Javier Baez's regression, but both the bullpen and the starting rotation could use some reinforcements as well.

The good news is that Harris finally got something done on Monday afternoon. The bad news is that Tigers fans might not feel much better about their team in the aftermath: According to multiple reports, Detroit has acquired struggling Minnesota Twins righty Chris Paddack (along with righty Randy Dobnak) in exchange for Minor League catcher Enrique Jimenez,

Detroit has been searching for a fifth starter for a while now, with Jackson Jobe and Sawyer Gipson-Long both on the IL and youngsters like Troy Melton and Keider Montero struggling in their shots at the gig. But it's tough to figure what they saw in Paddack specifically, given his 4.95 ERA on the season and just 83 strikeouts across 111 innings of work.

Is there something those numbers are missing? And what does this mean for Minnesota as they weigh whether (and whom) to sell over the next few days? Let's break it all down.

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MLB trade grades: Tigers make a very curious bet on Chris Paddack

Tigers grade: C

Again, the Tigers were in desperate need of more rotation depth. And you can understand why the team would try to fill that void on the relative cheap, especially with so few viable rotation options on the market right now. Prioritize Eugenio Suarez and relief help first, and trust that Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize, Reese Olson and some more of that good old-fashioned pitching chaos will be enough come playoff time.

You still need to get to the playoffs first, though, and while the AL Central still isn't in much danger, Detroit is very much at risk of losing more ground in the overall standings — and drawing a tougher path through October as a result. Paddack sure doesn't seem like the man to help stop that slide: Even beyond the top-line numbers, he's not generating any of the velocity or the whiffs that he did with the San Diego Paders back in the day. That was several years and injuries ago; while he's still just 29, he doesn't have the stuff anymore to get away with living in the strike zone the way he does.

Maybe Detroit has identified something worth tweaking here, but it's not like Paddack has a lot of room left for growth: He's largely a two-pitch pitcher, focusing on his four-seam/changeup combination while sprinkling in some mediocre sliders here and there. Plus, he's already spent this season in a pitcher-friendly park; unless the Tigers can turn back the hands of time, it's tough to see much here beyond a 4.50-5.00 ERA and some innings eaten up.

Twins grade: B

Jimenez was very much expendable for Detroit, which has enviable catching depth in its system thanks to the duo of Josue Briceño and Thayron Liranzo. But he's still a solid-enough prospect in his own right: Ranked No. 14 in a strong Tigers system by MLB Pipeline, scouts seem to have little doubt about his ability to stick behind the plate and he has a solid approach and discipline as a hitter (75 walks to 116 strikeouts in his pro career). He's still a way's away from the Majors as a 19-year-old in Rookie ball, but this is about as good as you can reasonably expect for two months of a pitcher who's struggled mightily this season.

From here, the only question becomes how hard the Twins will pull the rip cord. Selling Paddack was an easy call if they could get anything of value, and fellow rentals like Danny Coulombe and Willi Castro figure to be on the move as well. But what about the big guns, guys like Joe Ryan, Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax who bring team control beyond this year? Minnesota got some good value here, but the way forward remains to be seen.