"If you remember back about a year ago at this time, things looked pretty wild for the Washington Nationals and former closer Kyle Finnegan. The righty was coming off an All-Star 2024 campaign, but his underlying metrics told more of the full story. Finnegan had been a beneficiary of some good luck, and his lack of swing-and-miss stuff was keeping him from unlocking his true potential as a late inning option for the Nationals."
"After Finnegan was traded, he caught fire with the Tigers, as they worked to change his pitch mix to feature less fastballs, and that adjustment made him one of the best relievers in baseball down the stretch. Additionally, the Tigers did what most contending clubs did with their ace relievers, giving him a massive vote of confidence by making him into a relief ace - deploying him into situations outside of just the 9th inning."
Kyle Finnegan was non-tendered by the Washington Nationals despite an All-Star 2024 season due to concerning underlying metrics and limited swing-and-miss ability. Finnegan re-signed with the Nationals, produced a solid first half of 2025, and attracted trade interest before being moved to the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline. The Nationals received pitching prospects Josh Randall and RJ Sales in return, prioritizing value before Finnegan could reach free agency. The Tigers adjusted his pitch mix to reduce fastballs and expanded his role beyond the ninth inning, which led to a marked improvement and late-season excellence.
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