After losing starting pitcher Reese Olson for the remainder of the season, the Detroit Tigers quickly bolstered their pitching staff in a trade with a division rival Monday.
With Olson (shoulder strain) moving to the 60-day injured list earlier in the day, Detroit acquired right-handers Chris Paddack and Randy Dobnak from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for minor league catcher Enrique Jimenez.
The main piece of the trade is Paddack, a 29-year-old starting pitcher who has gone 3-9 with a 4.95 ERA in 21 outings for Minnesota this season. He will look to replace the output of the Tigers’ No. 2 starter, Olson, who went 5 2/3 innings in his final outing against the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Olson, 25, reportedly felt discomfort during a bullpen session on Saturday and was subsequently shut down on Monday. The righty was 4-4 with a 3.15 ERA and 65 strikeouts over 68 2/3 innings pitched in 13 starts this season. In 56 career games (53 starts) over three campaigns, Olson has amassed a 13-19 record with a 3.60 ERA and 269 strikeouts in 284 2/3 innings.
In 106 games (103 starts) for the San Diego Padres (2019-21) and Twins (2022-25), Paddack has amassed a 30-33 career record with a 4.49 ERA and 500 strikeouts over 534 2/3 innings.
He will join a Detroit rotation that stars Tarik Skubal and owns the sixth-best ERA in baseball at 3.58. The Tigers lead the American League Central but have dropped 12 of their last 14 games.
Dobnak, 30, is a former starter for Minnesota who has made six relief appearances in the past two years, one in 2025 and five last season. In 39 career outings (21 starts), Dobnak is 9-12 with a 4.86 ERA and two saves. He has spent most of this season as a starter for Triple-A St. Paul, where he has fashioned a 1-7 record and 7.12 ERA. He has a $3 million salary this year and a $6 million team option for next year, though the Tigers can choose to exercise the $1 million buyout.
Jimenez, 19, is a Venezuela native currently playing rookie ball. He posted a .250/.339/.440 slash line with six homers and four steals in 48 games for the Tigers’ Florida Complex League team this season. MLB Pipeline ranked the switch-hitting Jimenez as the No. 14 prospect in the Tigers’ system.
–Field Level Media
