The Detroit Tigers scratched Casey Mize from his scheduled Friday start against the Athletics for what the team called "cautionary reasons" ahead of Monday's August 3 trade deadline, and it has all the hallmarks of a pitcher who has thrown his last game in a Detroit uniform.
No deal is officially in place. But the Tigers took the same approach with Jack Flaherty in 2024, holding him out of his final pre-deadline start before shipping him to the Dodgers.
That ended with Flaherty winning a World Series ring and then signing back with the Tigers in free agency. Mize, 29, has a 2.70 ERA in 16 starts this season, the best of his career, on a $6.15 million contract and heading to free agency after the season.
The Tigers, who have dropped four of five and appear to be moving toward a sell-off alongside the imminent Tarik Skubal trade, did not want Mize picking up an injury before they can move him.
Detroit slotted Mize for a Tuesday start, a day after the deadline, which technically leaves the door open to staying. Don't read too much into that. The Tigers scratched their best available pitcher two days before the deadline for non-injury reasons. That is the move of a team that has made a decision.