Tigers urged to add starting pitching help after terrible Mariners series

The Detroit Tigers are the top team in baseball at the All-Star break, but unfortunately, they went into the break on a sour note. Across a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners, the Tigers were swept.

Amid such a rough series, the Tigers need to reevaluate their roster. For Cody Stevenhagen of The Athletic, he is urging the Tigers to add a starter at the deadline, as opposed to an offensive piece.

"There is a case for the Tigers to get aggressive and add a starter at the July 31 trade deadline." Stavenhagen writes, "As good as Skubal has been, and solid as Mize, Olson, and Flaherty can be, a second formidable starter would be a postseason luxury."

Adding such a starter might prove difficult, as there aren't a ton of options on the market this season. Sandy Alcantara would be an interesting piece, but his struggles might make him unavailable at the trade deadline.

Edward Cabrera, Mitch Keller, Zac Gallen, and Merrill Kelly are all potential additions, but none have been the type of quality number two the Tigers could look for. But no matter who it is, the Tigers should look to add a starter, especially after the Mariners series.

The final scores of their rough Mariners series were 3-12, 7-15, and 4-8. The offense had a solid series, but the pitching was terrible. Game one saw Skubal go five innings, allowing four earned runs in one of the worst starts of his season.

MORE: Tigers 'strongly interested' in pair of Twins righty relievers

Game two saw Mize on the bump, but he, too, struggled. Through just three innings of work, Mize allowed six earned runs on six hits and one walk. Game three was slightly better, as Flaherty allowed two runs in five innings pitched, but the bullpen couldn't hold the Mariners down.

Tommy Kahnle, who had a sub-3.00 ERA before the Mariners series, allowed seven runs without recording an out in two disastrous performances. Between his struggles and the starters all having rough series, it's no surprise the Tigers struggled.

While the issues for Detroit in this series stemmed from the top of the rotation, it still doesn't make the rest of the rotation any safer. If Skubal isn't at his best, or Mize and Flaherty struggle, the Tigers won't be in good shape.

They need another solid starter, or at the very least, multiple strong relievers. Steven Matz of the St. Louis Cardinals is a good fit, as he'd help fill a multi-inning role in the event some of the Tigers' starters struggle like they did in this series.

Overall, the Tigers need to add more pitching, especially a starter who can pair with Mize, Flaherty, and Skubal atop the rotation. There will be some options at the deadline, but the Tigers can't afford to cheap out. This is their best shot to win it all in a while; they should try to land a good starter at the deadline.

MORE MLB NEWS:

• Astros GM Dana Brown reveals recovery timeline for Jake Meyers amid injury
• Cardinals get good news on top Diamondbacks trade targets
• Tigers get positive update on availability of top trade targets
• Padres' Yu Darvish on cusp of professional baseball history
• Guardians could trade injured Cy Young Award winner at MLB trade deadline
• Cardinals announce bad Lars Nootbaar news ahead of All-Star break