2 speculated Tigers trade targets couldn’t be more different as decisions loom

Scott Harris and the Tigers are feeling some major pressure this offseason to get some deals done and improve the roster as that World Series window remains cracked open.

Shortly after the season, Harris spoke about his vision for the future and what he felt went wrong in 2026 and he hinted at the fact that he’s not planning on making any huge changes. He blamed injuries and a poor month of May for the Tigers’ bad season, which is partially true, but there was way more to it than that.

That’s beside the point, though. Harris has to improve the roster in some way or another to show fans that he’s serious about turning this organization around. Free agency will be huge, but the trade market will also be worth following. Two names have already been thrown around as possible trade targets so far.

And they could not be more different.

The first is Yankees infielder Anthony Volpe who showed a ton of promise early in his career with a Gold Glove and 21 home runs and 60 RBIs as a rookie back in 2023. He was looking like the Yankees’ shortstop of the future but he’s regressed ever since and now he’s staring down a battle for at-bats with top prospect George Lombard Jr., who’s expected to be the starter at short of Opening Day.

Spending a $4-5 million on a guy who’s putting up Zack Short numbers isn’t too wise.

The other rumored target is Astros’ shortstop Jeremy Peña, who would be a much better fit and would raise the team’s ceiling. He’s the definition of an athlete and he’s a much better hitter than Volpe. He also became the first rookie in Astros franchise history to win a Gold Glove Award so the defense is a plus, too. He’s a career .272 hitter and smacked 22 home runs this past season.

Peña hits for contact, power, had back-to-back 20-steal seasons in 2024 and 2025, and he’s still just 29 years old.

The two trade targets couldn’t be more different. One has decent power, speed, and is a Gold Glove shortstop while the other had a career-worst two-homer season in 2026 and has been regressing each season since reaching the majors.

If these are the two choices, the winner should be obvious.

The Tigers can’t sit idle all offseason

There’s definitely a worry among the fanbase that Harris believes that he has a World Series-caliber team despite missing the playoffs by several games after starting the season as the favorites to win the AL Central. Fans are worried that he’s just going to roll out the exact same squad in 2027 as the one he had in 2026.

Harris alluded to that in his season wrap-up presser, stating that the team had the pieces but injuries really prevented them from living up to their potential.

That sounds like a guy who’s trying to let fans down easy with the news that no moves will be made.

However, if Peña becomes available considering there’s a need at shortstop, Detroit should pounce and offer some prospects. The farm system has been built up for a reason so the Tigers may as well use it to their advantage.

Let’s be real, though: Harris isn’t going to make a trade unless he really has to.

Be fully prepared for Tsung-Che Cheng to be the only trade addition this offseason.

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