Tigers' 4.55 ERA reliever may be entering final days in a Detroit uniform

The Detroit Tigers' magic number to clinch the American League Central continues to shrink by the day. They are entering an important series against the Cleveland Guardians. Cleveland is 6.5 games behind Detroit in the standings, but could make things very interesting if they sweep the Tigers or take two out of three. But if the Tigers take the series, they will have a commanding lead in the division. 

With that being said, some players will be playing under the microscope of the Tigers' front office for the last 10-15 games of the regular season and into October. One of those players is reliever Tommy Kahnle.

What should Detroit do with Tommy Kahnle?

After a solid 2024 season with the New York Yankees, the Tigers signed reliever Tommy Kahnle to a one-year deal in the offseason. The impending free agent has a 4.55 ERA with Detroit in 57.1 innings, but that number may be inflated by a really poor stretch in July. 

Although he's rebounded from that slight setback, FanSided's Katrina Stebbins believes that Detroit should pursue another option in free agency following the season:

"He was on a nice stretch from Aug. 15 through Sep. 6 when he gave up no runs and just three hits, but he was dismantled again against the White Sox on Sept. 7, when he gave up two runs in 2/3 innings that ended up being the difference maker for Chicago. He might still be able to find a smaller, one-year deal in free agency with another team, but the Tigers aren't going to want to take a chance on him again next year."

This is another situation where how a player performs in the playoffs will be a big factor in their free agent market, and the demand of how many teams will want Kahnle. 

He has nine saves on the season, but some of his underlying numbers aren't all that great. For example, his WHIP is 1.326, and his H/9 is 7.5. This indicates he's allowing far too many batters to reach base, and as a 36-year-old reliever, Detroit may want to target someone a little younger and with more swing-and-miss in their arsenal. 

His bWAR is also negative, which indicates his true value to this team. The Tigers have many high-leverage options for manager AJ Hinch in the back of the bullpen, and as Stebbins mentions, the Tigers aren't going to want to take a chance on him next season.