The Detroit Tigers are rolling as mid-June arrives, holding the best record in MLB at 44-24 and leading the AL Central by eight games over the second-place Minnesota Twins heading into Tuesday night.
While Detroit is in a strong position, there’s still room for improvement—especially in a wide-open race for the American League pennant. The upcoming MLB trade deadline could offer a chance to upgrade the roster, potentially putting one player’s role in jeopardy over the next few weeks.
Tigers Shortstop Trey Sweeney Could Be Battling for His Job Ahead of Trade Deadline
Several players stepped up during the Detroit Tigers’ unexpected playoff push last season, including shortstop Trey Sweeney. A former first-round pick by the Yankees in 2021, Sweeney came over in the deal that sent Jack Flaherty to the Dodgers at last year’s trade deadline and debuted in the majors on August 16.
While he didn’t light up the stat sheet—batting .218/.269/.373 with four home runs, 17 RBIs, and two steals in 36 games—Sweeney made a noticeable defensive impact, recording three defensive runs saved after taking over for Javier Báez at shortstop. His strong glove helped earn him a spot on the Opening Day roster and shifted Báez to roles in center field and at third base. However, Sweeney’s storybook rise is starting to falter.
Now 25, Sweeney continues to struggle at the plate, hitting just .220/.276/.309 with four homers and 23 RBIs over 61 games. According to Baseball Savant, his offensive metrics have also dipped—his average exit velocity has dropped from 91.3 mph to 88.1 mph, and his hard-hit rate has fallen from 47.4% to 33.3%.
Defensively, he’s regressed as well, with -4 defensive runs saved and -1 outs above average on Statcast this season. Although The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon report that the Tigers are still committed to Sweeney as their starting shortstop, Báez has started at the position in four of the last eight games, including Tuesday’s 5-3 win over the Orioles.
The same report notes Detroit is seeking a right-handed bat capable of hitting lefties ahead of the trade deadline—a move that could further jeopardize the left-handed hitting Sweeney, who has yet to find consistent success at the plate against any pitcher.
If his performance doesn’t improve, the Tigers may pursue a short-term solution at shortstop for their playoff run, potentially relegating Sweeney to a bench role and clouding his long-term outlook with the club.
