Detroit Tigers: Milwaukee Brewers Trade Targets

Detroit Tigers players have righted the ship after last year’s catastrophic season. With the trade deadline approaching, additions are needed. The Milwaukee Brewers would be ideal trade partners.

Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila could be in the market for new additions to the team as the trade deadline approaches. The Tigers have turned things around, but aren’t a perfect team by any stretch. Avila’s squad could do with a starting pitcher or two, an extra reliever and another bench bat.

One team that could potentially match up with the Tigers is the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brew Crew are mired in the National League Central cellar with a 37-47 record. Only the Cincinnati Reds sit between the Brewers and last place in the division.

Milwaukee has already started the process of becoming sellers by trading infielder Aaron Hill to the Red Sox for a pair of prospects.

Despite Hill being dealt, there are a number of other players on the Brewers’ roster that could appeal to the Tigers.

Players like Ryan Braun, Jonathan Lucroy and Jonathan Villar are probably out of Detroit’s price range in terms of the prospects the team would have to surrender. However, quality trade targets remain. Here are some options for Avila and company.

Will Smith, Relief Pitcher

Initially thought to be Milwaukee’s closer this season, an injury kept Smith out for an extended period of time, opening the door for Jeremy Jeffress. Despite not being the closer, Smith has nonetheless excelled coming out of the Brewers bullpen.

over 17 appearances, spanning 14.2 innings, the 26–year-old has pitched to a 1.84 ERA. This success is nothing new for the reliever, who owns a 3.10 ERA and a 3.07 FIP since the start of 2013.

Smith is still relatively young, so Milwaukee might hang on to him, but there is definite upside for the Tigers in a strikeout reliever controllable through 2020. The former Royal would slot in nicely alongside the likes of Justin WIlson and Bruce Rondon in building a bridge to Francisco Rodriguez.

Jeremy Jeffress, Relief Pitcher

Another relatively young, controllable reliever with experience in the Kansas City system, Jeremy Jeffress could be the missing link in the Detroit bullpen.

More from Motor City Bengals

Since taking over for Smith as the team’s closer, the right-hander has been excellent. He’s converted 23 saves while pitching to a 2.45 ERA in 36.2 innings pitched. The reliever’s strikeout numbers, just 6.4 per nine innings, aren’t outstanding, but the 28-year-old did strike out 8.6 batters per nine innings from 2010 to 2015.

Carlos Torres, Relief Pitcher

Continuing with the reliever trend is Carlos Torres. While he wouldn’t take up a late-inning role with the Tigers like Smith or Jeffress, the former Met would likely fill a similar role to that of Alex Wilson. In other words, he’d work the earlier innings while providing quality pitching.

What’s more, Torres, a 33-year-old reliever on a rebuilding team, could theoretically have a lower asking price than his teammates.

Junior Guerra, Starting Pitcher

While not a reliever, Junior Guerra could be an intruding, low-cost addition to the Tigers rotation.