Meet the prospects the Tigers added at the Deadline

The Tigers’ flurry of deals leading into Tuesday’s Trade Deadline added seven prospects to the system, including four added to MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 Detroit prospects rankings, led by No. 5 prospect Thayron Liranzo, the centerpiece of Tuesday’s Jack Flaherty trade to the Dodgers. Right-hander Joseph Montalvo (No. 19), shortstop Trey Sweeney (No. 24) and reliever Eric Silva (No. 25) also joined the list.

“We feel like we added a haul of young talent at this Deadline that is going to help us win a lot of games on that field moving forward,” president of baseball operations Scott Harris said. “That’s the goal for us.”

Here’s a rundown of what you need to know about all the newest members of the Tigers system.

Thayron Liranzo, C, High-A West Michigan
Pipeline scouting report: Though he signed for just $30,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2021, Liranzo continues to improve each year and has become one of the best young catching prospects in baseball. He has earned league All-Star honors in each of his two seasons in the United States. In his full-season debut last year, he topped the Single-A California League in slugging (.562), OPS (.962), wRC+ (155), homers (24), extra-base hits (50) and total bases (194) as a 19-year-old. Liranzo had been inconsistent in his move to High-A Great Lakes to begin ‘24 and was moved to the Tigers in the deal that sent Flaherty the other way.

A switch-hitter, Liranzo provides power from both sides and was showing more aptitude hitting from the right side even during his struggles this summer. He hits the ball hard, and his pull-heavy approach allows him to get a lot of his plus raw power, which he'll tap into even further as he learns to launch the ball in the air more regularly. His approach will lead to strikeouts, though he offsets his whiffs with a healthy amount of walks.

Liranzo's receiving and blocking skills regressed during his U.S. debut in 2022 but improved last summer. He has the hands to become an average or better receiver and moves well behind the plate despite well-below-average speed on the bases. He owns at least plus arm strength and will deter the running game even more as he improves his throwing accuracy.

Organizational fit: The Tigers just welcomed Dillon Dingler, their previously top-ranked catching prospect, to Detroit on Monday, but there wasn’t much depth behind him. Liranzo, if he can stick at catcher, provides a fascinating long-term option as a switch-hitter with power. He joined the Tigers’ prospect rankings at No. 5 and could crack MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 with a strong finish.

“We added a switch-hittng catcher who has an advanced approach and hits the ball really, really hard and has a chance to project into a frontline catcher for us moving forward,” Harris said. “I think there’s a lot of opportunity for him to continue to get better.”

ETA: 2026

Trey Sweeney, SS, Triple-A Toledo
Pipeline scouting report: The 2021 Ohio Valley Conference player of the year after slashing .372/.522/.712, Sweeney became the third first-rounder in Eastern Illinois history that July, signing for $3 million as the 20th overall pick by the Yankees. New York had him make some swing changes designed to increase his power, but he hit just .248/.361/.429 while advancing to Double-A in his first two-plus years as a pro. When the Dodgers needed 40-man roster space last December, they acquired him for Victor González and infield prospect Jorbit Vivas, and after giving Sweeney a run at Triple-A Oklahoma City, Los Angeles moved him again at the 2024 Trade Deadline, this time to the Tigers in a deal for Jack Flaherty.

Sweeney established himself as one of the better hitters in the 2021 college class, but he hasn’t reached those heights in the pro game, even while trying to get back to what worked with LA. He employed a sizeable leg kick and pronounced bat tip at Eastern Illinois, and his uncanny hand-eye coordination permitted him to barrel balls and make a lot of hard contact from the left side of the plate. However, his strikeout rate climbed to 26.8 percent in the Pacific Coast League before the trade, allowing more concerns about his overall ability to hit to creep in.

Sweeney is deceptively athletic for a 6-foot-3, 212-pounder and has stayed at shortstop longer than most scouts expected. He has increased his speed from below average in college to average in pro ball, and he's even quicker once he gets going. He's an opportunistic base stealer with decent range, reliable hands and solid arm strength at short.

Organizational fit: Though the Tigers have Javier Báez under contract for three more years, they’ve clearly emphasized finding long-term answers at shortstop, from drafting Kevin McGonigle and Bryce Rainer over the last two years to getting Sweeney in the Flaherty trade. Sweeney, who joins Detroit’s prospect rankings at No. 24, still has some work to do to push for a call to the big league club, but he gives the Tigers a potential left-handed hitting complement to Báez next year and a bridge to McGonigle and/or Rainer.

“He’s hitting the ball considerably harder this year than he was in previous years,” Harris said. “I think he needs a few more reps at Triple-A before he can impact us up here, but in terms of the athlete, the swing, the ability to play a premium position as a left-handed hitter, those are hard to find, and we’re fortunate that we found one.”

ETA: 2025

Eric Silva, RHP, Double-A Erie
Pipeline scouting report: Ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 126 prospect in the 2021 Draft class, Silva went to the Giants at 115th overall that summer as a California high schooler, and it took a $1.5 million bonus (the second-highest amount given out by San Francisco that year) to keep him away from UCLA. Silva posted ERAs above 5.00 at Single-A San Jose and High-A Eugene in ‘22 and ‘23, respectively, and the Giants moved him to the bullpen this summer at Double-A Richmond with stronger results. The Tigers acquired the right-hander at the Trade Deadline in a straight-up swap for outfielder Mark Canha.

Even with a move to the bullpen, Silva won’t show big velocity with a pair of fastballs in the low-90s, but the running action of his sinker and ride of his four-seam can be effective. Where he’s at his best is with a feel for spin. He’ll throw a darting slider that peels away from righties and a curveball that drops straight down below bats. He also has a good enough changeup with enough depth to keep lefties honest, and opposite-side hitters had just a .193 average against him in 2024 at the time of the trade.

Silva’s control has been steadily improving throughout 2024 as he’s gotten more comfortable in his new role. With that in mind, the Tigers might be acquiring him at the right time in his development cycle. With his pair of breaking balls and split-proof arsenal, Silva could be ready for looks in Detroit’s Major League bullpen as early as next year.

Organizational fit: The Tigers’ pitching development group under the direction of Gabe Ribas has shown an ability to turn talented-but-wild arms into solid Major League pitchers, such as Reese Olson, Keider Montero, Beau Brieske and Sawyer Gipson-Long. Detroit has worked with similar arsenals before and has a chance to develop Silva -- still just 21 -- into a multi-inning reliever who can complement the many young arms the club already has in the bullpen. He joins the Tigers’ prospect rankings at No. 25.

ETA: 2025

Joseph Montalvo, RHP, High-A West Michigan
Pipeline scouting report: Born in Puerto Rico, Montalvo attended high school in Florida and became the Rangers' final pick (20th round) in the 2021 Draft. A former shortstop who stood out more for his athleticism than his pure stuff as an amateur, he has thrived as a full-time pitcher in pro ball. He transitioned from relieving in his ‘22 pro debut to starting last year and logged a 2.83 ERA, .211 opponents’ average and 107 strikeouts in 95 1/3 innings in Single-A. He was enjoying another solid season at High-A Hickory when the Rangers moved him to the Tigers in the deal for Andrew Chafin.

Montalvo's four-seam fastball sits in the low 90s and tops out at 95 mph, playing better than its velocity because of its carry and arm-side run and the extension in his delivery, and he's also developing a sinking two-seamer. His best swing-and-miss pitch is a low-80s slider with good depth. He also has nice feel for a fading mid-80s changeup that shows flashes of becoming a solid offering.

An athletic mover who gets down the mound well, Montalvo combines quality extension with a low release height and flat approach angle, presenting an unusual look for hitters. He improved his control in the second half of last season, throwing more and better strikes. He profiles as a back-of-the-rotation starter and perhaps more if his stuff gets better as he adds more strength.

Organizational fit: For all the buzz about the Tigers’ pitching development, they were running thin on talented starters at the lower levels; most of their ranked pitching prospects were at Double-A or Triple-A. Montalvo joins No. 17 prospect Jaden Hamm to form a dynamic duo at West Michigan with a chance to move up in due time.

“Montalvo is a really interesting young arm,” Harris said. “He's already punching out a lot of guys and has already flashed the shapes that we feel like we can help continue to develop in this organization. We think there's a lot of growth for him. We love the delivery. We love the athlete. We love the performance that he's had. And we think that he still has a ton of opportunity moving forward.”

ETA: 2026

Chase Lee, RHP, Triple-A Toledo
Organizational fit: How can you not like a reliever named Chase? With a strikeout rate of 12.21 per nine innings for his Minor League career, including 11 over 10 2/3 innings in eight appearances for Triple-A Round Rock this year, the name fits. Lee, acquired from the Rangers for Chafin, is just getting back into a regular routine after missing the first half of the year recovering from offseason hip surgery, but he could give Detroit some relief depth down the stretch and be a unique long fit.

“He's one of those relievers that creates really tough angles on hitters,” Harris said. “When you hear [manager] A.J. [Hinch] talk about trying to find really good matchups to help us win games or help us get out of a jam, it's my job to give him as many different options from as many different slots as possible. And Chase Lee gives us another opportunity to add a different look in our pen at some point in the future.”

ETA: 2025

Tyler Owens, RHP, Double-A Erie
Organizational fit: Like Silva, the 23-year-old Owens has a big arm with a mid-to-upper 90s fastball out of a smaller frame -- 5-foot-10 in his case. Inconsistent command and a struggle to develop his slider as a swing-and-miss secondary pitch led to a move to the bullpen, where he became a solid closer at Double-A Frisco. The Tigers’ pitching development group will work with Owens, acquired from the Rangers for catcher Carson Kelly, on developing a breaking pitch that he can use to miss bats. If he can do that, he could become a relief option in time.

ETA: 2026

Liam Hicks, C, Double-A Erie
Organizational fit: Hicks, also acquired in the Kelly deal, fits the Tigers’ offensive philosophy of zone control, with nearly as many walks (41) as strikeouts (44) at Double-A Frisco. The former ninth-round Draft pick out of Arkansas State has advanced bat-to-ball skills but struggles for hard contact. He’s considered an average-but-improving defender who handles a pitching staff well. At age 25, he’s older for his level, but with some development under Detroit’s catching instructional group, he has a chance to become a depth option for the club at Triple-A and insurance behind Dillon Dingler and Jake Rogers.

ETA: 2025