Insider says top closer may be available. could the Tigers make a move?

Insider says top closer may be available. could the Tigers make a move? originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

If the Orioles really are open to trading Felix Bautista, and Ken Rosenthal says they are at least listening, the Tigers should be on the phone already.

This wouldn’t be a cheap deal.

Bautista is just 30, making $1 million, and under team control for two more years. But if Detroit is serious about making noise in October, there may not be a more impactful bullpen upgrade available.

Let’s be honest, Bautista is not the same pitcher we saw in 2023, when he struck out 46.4% of the hitters he faced and looked downright unfair, but he’s not far off. 

Bautista has worked his way back from Tommy John surgery and pitched to a 2.41 ERA with 18 saves in 33 2/3 innings. His strikeout rate sits at 35.6%, still elite. The walks (14.8%) are an issue, but they’ve improved as the season’s gone on.

Since the start of June, Bautista has looked more like the guy who overwhelmed the league last year: 44.4% strikeout rate, 11.1% walk rate, and much better command of the zone. His groundball rate has climbed from 35.7% last year to over 50% now.

So yeah, the stuff plays. And in a tight game in October, that’s a really good weapon to have in the back of the bullpen. 

It’s hard to say whether Baltimore would actually pull the trigger on a deal. They don’t have to trade him, and they might just be testing the market. 

But a call costs nothing. And if the Orioles are truly open to offers, the Tigers, with a top-10 farm system and a bullpen that still needs one more high-leverage piece, could be a serious player.

The window is open. The question is whether Detroit is willing to step through it. If they want to win this year, Felix Bautista is a name worth chasing.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.