The Tigers acquired infielder Zack Short from the Nationals this week and sent him to Triple-A Toledo, a move that gives Detroit another shortstop option while its infield is battered by injuries. Washington received cash considerations or a player to be named later in the trade.
Evan Woodbery of MLive Media Group first reported that the Tigers were getting Short for cash, while Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic later mentioned the player to be named later. Short, who turns 31 this month, was not on Washington’s 40-man roster, so Detroit did not have to clear a roster spot to make the deal.
The move lands at a time when the Tigers need help. Javier Báez is on the injured list with a right ankle sprain, and he had been sharing shortstop duties with Kevin McGonigle. Trey Sweeney and Zach McKinstry are also on the injured list, leaving manager A.J. Hinch to point to Hao-Yu Lee as the backup shortstop, even though Lee has not played the position since 2023.
Short brings experience the Tigers can use right away. He has almost 800 innings at shortstop, along with time at second base, third base and in the outfield. But the bat has not traveled with the glove: in 594 big league plate appearances, he owns a.172/.271/.296 line.
For Short, the deal is the latest turn in a busy year. He signed a minor league deal with the Yankees in the offseason, was traded to the Nationals for cash in March, and has now been dealt again. Washington had added him as non-roster shortstop depth behind CJ Abrams after lacking an obvious fallback plan, but the Nationals moved on once Detroit came calling.
That leaves the Tigers with a practical answer for the moment and another reminder of how thin the shortstop picture has become. With Báez, Sweeney and McKinstry all hurt, Detroit is leaning on experience more than upside, and Short’s arrival is about holding the position together until the roster gets healthier.