In reality, Scott Harris's handling of the trade deadline for the Detroit Tigers is nuanced. In comparison to front office leaders for other contenders, his play-it-safe approach felt lacking, and that was before every acquisition not named Kyle Finnegan laid an egg.
That said, while some names connected to the Tigers floundered down the stretch, it doesn't mean they would have done the same in Detroit. You can't simply succumb to the fallacy of the predetermined outcome. Nor can you simply write off a player for struggles in August and September once October rolls around.