Emerging Troy Melton returns home as Tigers help shape MLB trade market

Jul 18, 2026 - 05:25

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Emerging Troy Melton returns home as Tigers help shape MLB trade market originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Troy Melton was a bit pumped.

Possibly too much.

A former standout at Canyon High in Anaheim, Calif., Melton returned home and prepped to pitch competitively at Angel Stadium for the first time in his life. Entering Friday's start against the Los Angeles Angels, Melton posted a 0.76 ERA over his previous four starts.

But in the first inning against his favorite childhood team, Melton uncharacteristically issued back-to-back walks, loading the bases with one out. He yielded one run on 27 pitches, the most he delivered in one inning this season.

Melton's in-game pressure remained constant, allowing five straight leadoff batters to reach base. Pitching before family and friends, he remained composed and delivered a gritty no-decision, going 5.2 innings. He yielded one run on four hits, striking out nine and walking four. The Tigers (45-52) rallied during the first game of the second half, earning a 2-1 win.

The 25-year-old right-hander continues to emerge as a long-term starter for the franchise. With nine strikeouts Friday, Melton became the fifth pitcher in franchise history aged 25 or younger to record back-to-back nine-strikeout efforts, joining Skubal, Rick Porcello, Jeremy Bonderman and Justin Thompson.

Could Melton's presence eventually make Tarik Skubal available before the MLB trade deadline on Aug. 3? The back-to-back Cy Young award winner remains one of the most coveted players on the trade market. With the league's top asset, the Tigers are likely to continue shaping the pre-trade deadline market.

Tigers' Troy Melton returns home, turns in gritty outing

With Melton developing into a front-line starter, the Tigers' brass could feel more confident in triggering a potential deadline deal to help restock the farm system. When the parent club skidded through a 4-21 May stretch, Scott Harris declined to field most calls from his peers. The Tigers' president of baseball operations refused to start negotiations for Skubal or Casey Mize or anyone else.

Not yet.

On June 1, the Tigers were 22-38, 11.5 games behind the division lead. Skubal remained on the injured list and the offense took most of the month off. But they rebounded in June and early July, remaining 6.5 games behind the division lead.

The Tigers continue to get back into the playoff picture despite a questionable bullpen, which has been credited with 19 first-half blown save opportunities. The relievers need to be reinforced. Upgrades at shortstop and center field remain targeted by the Tigers' scouting staff.

By dealing Skubal, the Tigers' organization would replenish a farm system that largely underperformed at all levels this season.

Having Melton emerge as a long-term solution could help fill the void immediately.