Detroit Tigers: 5 Starting Pitching Trade Deadline Targets

Jul 4, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija (29) is congratulated in the dugout during the eighth inning at U.S Cellular Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Jeff Samardzija

The Chicago White Sox traded for Jeff Samardija in his contract year hoping to get a motivated pitcher looking to cash in this off-season. They also hoped that perhaps he would want to stay in Chicago, where he began his career with the cross-town Cubs, went to college at nearby Notre Dame, and grew up close by in Indiana.

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The Detroit Tigers could also use this logic when trading for the 30-year old. He has been an emerging name linked to the team in recent weeks and could be a decent match. With David Price looking more and more like he is headed for the hills, perhaps the Tigers could convince Samardzija to stay at a fraction of the cost of Price.

Samardzija has truly been bi-polar this season. In his last start on Independence Day, he had a late no-hit bid broken up late and ended up allowing just one run on three hits to a potent Baltimore Orioles’ lineup. In his start prior to that he held the Tigers scoreless through seven innings and then began to tire. Perhaps it was more of a managerial oversight by Robin Ventura leaving him in for too long, but before he knew it, he had blown a 4-0 lead and earned a no-decision.

Aside from that inning, his season seems to be trending in the right directions, posting an ERA under three in his last five starts. If you take that one bad inning out of the equation in Detroit, the ERA is closer to 2.00.

One problem with adding Samardzija for the stretch run, and possibly playoffs, is that he does not have much postseason experience, appearing in just one inning as a rookie for the Cubs in 2008.

Next: Kazmir

Jun 27, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Scott Kazmir (26) throws against the Kansas City Royals in the first inning of their MLB baseball game at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports

Scott Kazmir

Scott Kazmir was supposed to be the veteran ace for one of the best teams in the American League last year when he signed a free agent deal with the Oakland Athletics prior to last year.

He was good for Oakland last year, but the team self-destructed down the stretch and lost in the Wild-Card game. This year Oakland will be sellers, especially with Kazmir and his expiring contract. Will they try to help and/or fleece their former arch playoff rivals by working out a deal to send the lefty to the Detroit Tigers?

Kazmir’s name is mentioned a lot in trade rumors but it is not as flashy as some of the other names you will see on this list. Nonetheless he has always quietly been a very reliable option for any of the teams he find himself on, dating back to his years as a teammate of David Price’s in Tampa Bay.

This year Kazmir has not gotten a lot to work with from his offense and is sitting at 5-5, however he is boasting a very solid ERA of 2.56 and 1.119 WHIP.

Kazmir could give the Tigers a nice righty-lefty-right-lefty-righty rotation with Price, Verlander, Simon and Sanchez.

Next: Happ

Jul 3, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher J.A. Happ (33) makes a pitch against the Oakland Athletics during the fourth inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

J.A. Happ

The Detroit Tigers will see J.A. Happ in the series finale with the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday afternoon and get a good first–hand scouting report on the nine-year veteran.

Betsided

The Mariners might be the biggest disappointment in the American League this season. They sunk a lot of money in the team to reclaim competitiveness and earn a playoff spot for the first time since 2001, the second longest playoff drought in baseball. They may be in a similar position as the Tigers, trying to weigh whether or not to be buyers or sellers at the trading deadline, confident they have a team that can make a second-half run.

But with the upstart Houston Astros not going anywhere, and the Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers still in front of them, they may try to hit the reset button and regroup for next year.

In his first year with the Mariners, he has only four wins in 16 starts with a high ERA of 3.93 and so-so WHIP of 1.331. Happ has actually been fairly inconsistent since a tremendous beginning to his career with the Philadelphia Phillies. Only once since 2009 has he posted an ERA below four for the season, but he has not been on a contender in all those years.

When he was on a good team, he performed well and was decent in his playoff appearances.

Trading deadline acquisitions will always be expensive, but this could be the bargain for the Tigers.

Next: Cueto

Jun 26, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Johnny Cueto (47) pitches during the first inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Johnny Cueto

Think back to December 14, 2014. The Detroit Tigers had just shipped Rick Porcello to the Boston Red Sox for a package that included Yoenis Cespedes and Alex Wilson.

Rumors swirled that the Tigers would be making a deal for a starting pitcher to fill Porcello’s hole, and the expected hole of Max Scherzer, who had not yet signed with the Washington Nationals.

Tigers’ fans let their imaginations get the best of them when the team rumored to be working with Detroit was the Cincinnati Reds. It had to be Johnny Cueto, right? On an expiring contract, the Tigers would do what they needed to do to stabilize that starting rotation, especially with the expected loss of Scherzer.

So you can imagine everyone’s disappointment when it was Alfredo Simon, and not Cueto coming to Detroit. Seven months later, the Tigers could be keying in on Cueto once again.

What makes Cueto so elusive is his ability to mix up pitches and speeds, making it hard for hitters to guess what is coming next. On a Reds’ team largely going through the motions all season long, and closing in on last place in the NL Central, Cueto is almost certainly available to the highest bidder. And if the Tigers are indeed buyers, with David Price staying put this season, he is probably the best name on the market right now.

Cueto is sporting a 2.84 ERA and 0.917 WHIP. He was sharp against the Tigers last month until Miguel Cabrera slammed a rare mistake pitch deep into the stands in right field.

Next: Hamels

Jul 5, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cole Hamels (35) leaves the field after pitching against the Atlanta Braves during the eighth inning at Turner Field. The Phillies defeated the Braves 4-0 in ten innings. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Cole Hamels

No trading deadline piece would be complete without including Cole Hamels, even though the Detroit Tigers are not one of his preferred teams to be dealt to.

He, of course, would probably like a shot at a pennant race and get off the sinking Philadelphia Phillies’ boat, but does he want to spend 4-5 years in Detroit if he views the team as one on the decline after this season? The Tigers and Phillies would have to sell him on the prospect to get him to waive the trading provision in his contract.

He is guaranteed $23.5 million the next three years with a $20 million option in 2019 or $6 million buyout. That is a lot of money to take on for the Tigers, who have seemed more willing to shed payroll than to take it on in recent years–as evidenced by not going after Max Scherzer in the open market.

With Hamels, you know what you’re going to get. A solid, but not flashy #2 or #3 rotation guy. He has a lot of playoff experience and won the World Series MVP in 2008.

He definitely would be a step-up over who is #2-5 in the current Detroit rotation, but he probably brings the most question marks for any pitcher on this list.

In other words, the Tigers have a lot of soul-searching to make before making this, or any other purchase on or around July 31.

Next: It starts with starting pitching