Detroit Tigers Trade Cameron Maybin to Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Detroit Tigers fans will be seeing a different team take the field next season as center fielder Cameron Maybin has been traded to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila wants to make the Tigers younger and more financially sustainable. The head of Detroit’s front office hasn’t wasted any time in starting the process of shedding salary.

Cameron Maybin is heading to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in a trade.

MLB.com’s Jason Beck was the first to report news of a potential trade, tweeting, “Hearing Tigers working on a potential sign-and-trade scenario with Cameron Maybin, who has a $9 million club option.”

Later, Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported that Maybin was dealt to Anaheim. Rosenthal tweeted, “Maybin, heading to #Angels, has $9 million club option. First to report #Tigers were working on deal: @beckjason.”

The Angels later announced the deal, tweeting, “#Angels have acquired OF Cameron Maybin from Detroit Tigers in exchange for RHP Victor Alcantara. Angels will exercise Maybin’s 2017 option.”

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Detroit also announced the move, tweeting, “Additionally, the #Tigers today have acquired RHP Victor Alcantara from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in exchange for OF Cameron Maybin.”

Maybin, who was drafted by the Tigers in the first round of the 2005 draft, was dealt to Florida in the Miguel Cabrera deal.

He would spend time with the Marlins, San Diego and Atlanta before returning to the Motor City in an offseason deal for reliever Ian Krol and pitching prospect Gabe Speier.

The outfielder hit .315 with a robust .383 on-base percentage in his return to Detroit. Maybin also tacked on 65 runs scored, 43 RBI, 15 stolen bases, 14 doubles, five triples and four home runs in 94 games played.

When healthy, he served as an offensive spark plug for Detroit.

Victor Alcantara

In return for Maybin, the Tigers receive pitching prospect Victor Alcantara. The Free Press’ Anthony Fenech was the first to report the news, tweeting “The Tigers will receive a right-handed pitcher named Victor Alcantara from the Angels.”

Ranked before the trade by MLB.com as Anaheim’s eighth-best overall prospect and second-best pitching prospect, Alcantara finished 2016 at the Double-A level.

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In 111 innings, the 23-year-old struck out 6.4 batters per nine innings while posting a 4.30 ERA.

Those strikeout numbers represented a significant drop off for the pitcher, who entered the year having fanned 8.3 and 8.4 batters per nine frames respectively in 2015 and 2014.

Despite the Angels not having the best farm system in the league, Avila did well to nab one of the team’s better pitching prospects.

In an article for InsideTheHalos of Scout.com back in April, Taylor Blake Ward gave a scouting report on Alcantara. Blake Ward wrote, “There is no power arm in the Los Angeles Angels’ pipeline quite like Victor Alcantara. Mixing an overpowering slider and mid to high 90’s fastball, the stuff is about as real as it gets.”

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Obviously Alcantara hasn’t put it all together yet, but the potential is there. As a starter or a reliever, the pitcher holds plenty of promise.