LAKELAND, Fla. — Reese Olson was sitting in his living room last summer, scrolling through Twitter like the rest of us.
That’s when he saw the news. The Brewers were trading for Tigers left-hander Daniel Norris. It didn’t immediately say who they were giving up in return.
Intrigued, Olson got up and went into the next room to talk to his roommate, Brady Schanuel, a teammate with the High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. He thought he’d pull a little prank.
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“I told him he was getting traded, messing around with him,” Olson said last week.
After the two players traded a few words, Olson went back in the living room.
“I sat down, refreshed my feed and saw it was me,” he said. “It was wild, for sure.”
Blood pumping, Olson called his parents. They happened to be on the way to see him. The MLB trade deadline was July 30. Olson’s 22nd birthday was July 31. His parents were already at the airport. Olson also called his agent, and then he sat and awaited word from either the Tigers or the Brewers.
The next day, Olson and his parents drove from Wisconsin to the Tigers’ High-A affiliate near Grand Rapids, Mich. And that’s how Olson ended up here, talking outside the Tigers’ minor-league clubhouse on a sunny day during Detroit’s minicamp.
Around the Tigers’ minor-league complex, there’s a question that keeps getting uttered: How in the world did the Tigers get Olson in exchange for two months of Daniel Norris?
Although Norris was a beloved member of the Tigers, he struggled with consistency. He had a 5.89 ERA at the time of the trade. In Milwaukee, Norris posted a 6.64 ERA and was left off the Brewers’ playoff roster.
In Olson, the Tigers got a promising young pitcher who is still on the upswing. Last year, he was considered one of the most improved players in the Milwaukee system. He’s among a crop of players who actually benefited from the 2020 COVID shutdown.
Olson couldn’t play minor-league baseball that summer. Instead he threw and worked out every day. The Georgia native spent evenings out on a lake with some of his old friends.
But by summer’s end, Olson — who still has a lanky frame and a baby face — was stronger. He was throwing harder and sustaining his velocity for longer.
“That was a big time for me,” Olson said.
He also worked on developing a slider at the suggestion of Milwaukee’s player development staff. It’s now become arguably his best secondary pitch.
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“It’s definitely my go-to offspeed after my changeup,” Olson said.
Olson had a 4.30 ERA at the time of the trade last season but had several strong outings and was striking out more than 10 batters per nine innings. He threw 11 scoreless innings at West Michigan before the Tigers bumped him to Double A, where he had a 4.74 ERA in five starts.
It’s still tough to say exactly how good Olson could be, or whether he will end up as a starter or reliever. But there’s a lot here to like. Last season, Olson’s fastball could sit around 93-95 mph, up from the low 90s in his past. He throws a good changeup and also has a curveball. But the slider has quickly become perhaps his important weapon.
Interesting mechanics from Reese Olson, who was acquired in exchange for Daniel Norris last summer pic.twitter.com/mk5bddZR5L
— Cody Stavenhagen (@CodyStavenhagen) March 1, 2022
Olson, once knocked for his smaller stature and a violent delivery, is still a work in progress with his mechanics. He’s listed at 6-foot-1 and 160 pounds. He has a short but whippy arm action and a short stride that doesn’t always look smooth. Olson said the arm action hasn’t been a focus. But the Tigers have already made some tweaks to his delivery. Olson used to begin his windup with a small step to the left side. He’s now stepping behind the rubber with his left foot and then throwing all his momentum toward home plate.
He’s struggled with high walk totals in the past — 4.38 BB/9 in his minor-league career — so improving his command will be the big focus in the year ahead.
“The thinking is (the mechanics change) is gonna help me create a little more momentum toward home plate,” Olson said.
The Tigers are still figuring out exactly what they have in Olson, but they like the makeup and the ability. He’s shown he can miss bats. And when he’s throwing strikes, he looks like a guy who can pitch in the big leagues.
(Photo: Allison Farrand / Detroit Tigers)
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