Why didn't Tigers trade Gleyber Torres or Kenley Jansen? Scott Harris explains

Seattle — A couple of issues might’ve gotten lost in the rubble of the trade deadline fallout Monday night.

Why didn’t president Scott Harris move veteran pending free agents Kenley Jansen and Gleyber Torres? Because the offers coming back for those two players wouldn’t have impacted the team more than keeping them.

This was not a sell-off.

“In each case, we analyzed the potential return and tried to make a judgment call as to whether it was worth pulling the trigger and making the deals or keep those players and continue to try to flip the script on the season and try to force our way into the playoff picture,” Harris said.

The markets for Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize were too good for Harris to pass up. The markets for Torres and Jansen, presumably for Jack Flaherty, too, who is trying to work through flexor tendon strain, not so much.

“With respect to other markets with other players," Harris said. "It was a lot clearer to us that the value of potentially winning and keeping those players around some of these young players and continuing to build upon the momentum that we have created was more important than the additional value we could’ve provided by pulling the trigger on those deals.”

The other question, given the state of the Tigers’ bullpen recently, did Harris explore potentially adding another reliever? Explore? Yes. Find the right fit? No.

“Given the prices of relievers right now, like, can we really afford to trade young talent to add the 'pen?” he said. “Or are we better off improving through internal additions? There are some guys who are going to get opportunities as a result of these trades.”

Harris mentioned lefty Brant Hurter (lumbar spine inflammation) is beginning his rehab assignment and is on track to return this month. He mentioned River Ryan possibly joining the mix in September, presumably as a starter, but maybe as a bulk reliever.

Right-hander Troy Watson, whom the Tigers put on the 40-man roster to block a move to Korea, has been working out of the bullpen recently at Triple-A Toledo and performing well.

Beau Brieske, Tyler Mattison, Tanner Rainey, Ricky Vanasco and Nick Sandlin would also be options.

“When looking at the prices and the quality of the relievers that were available to us at the deadline and with the overall context of our situation, it just didn’t make sense,” Harris said. “I think it made a lot more sense to give more opportunity to some of the young players that deserve it. There are some guys who are throwing the ball pretty well in Toledo, and we’re going to continue to give those guys opportunity.”

Tigers at Mariners

▶ First pitch: 9:40 p.m. Wednesday, T-Mobile Park, Seattle

▶ TV/radio: Detroit Sports Net/97.1 FM

▶ TBA, Tigers: Manager AJ Hinch pushed Troy Melton up a day to start on Tuesday after Mize was traded . That created the opening for a bullpen game in this one. Tyler Holton has been the opener of choice recently. Ty Madden and Enmanuel De Jesus, depending on what pitchers were used Tuesday, would bulk relief candidates.

▶ RHP Bryan Woo (7-8, 4.56), Mariners: The Tigers roughed him up at Comerica Park on June 5 (five runs, nine hits in 6.1 innings), but he's a different cat at home. He's 6-0 this season at T-Mobile with a 2.20 ERA and 0.767 WHIP. Which might be comforting to Woo after giving up 10 runs in 10 innings over his last two starts at Texas and at the Dodgers. When he's right, he can cause fits mixing sliders, sweepers and changeups of lively 96-mph four-seamers and sinkers.

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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Why didn't Tigers trade Gleyber Torres or Kenley Jansen? Scott Harris explains

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