Detroit Tigers: 5 Possible Trades

As the Detroit Tigers slid to the All Star Break, its fan base shifted from a split on buying and selling at the trade deadline to a majority residing in the “sell” camp. There are problems with both camps, but the Tigers will most likely fall into the “buy” camp as they have the last number of years.

More from Motor City Bengals

• Detroit Tigers: Victor Reyes finding ways to get the job done
• The Detroit Tigers must cut their losses and release Jonathan Schoop
• Detroit Tigers: Garrett Hill’s new role and changed delivery are excellent
• Detroit Tigers: Joe Jiménez has rebounded in 2022
• Detroit Tigers: Is it finally time to move the fences in at Comerica Park?

The problem with selling is that if the prices the “buyers” believe the Tigers will pay to acquire key pieces is what the Tigers will receive for David Price and Yoenis Cespedes, the trades will not help the rebuild. If the “buyers” have to pay the prices the “sellers” believe they will get for the Tigers’ pieces, they will be unable to acquire any trade targets.

If the Tigers decide to buy at the deadline, they will need to sell the remainder of their soul to the devil to be World Series contenders. If they sell, they should sell everything, including the kitchen sink, to rebuild this team ASAP.

Here are 5 trades the Tigers could make at the trade deadline:

• Buy Starting Pitcher: Mike Leake, Ian Kennedy, Dan Haren.

The Tigers do not have the players to bring in a player like Cueto or Cole Hamels, so they will need to look at the second tier of pitchers which include Leake, Kennedy and Haren, with Haren being the most reasonable target. Haren is 34 and has an expiring deal. He would only need a mid-level prospect to acquire and the Tigers have those. If the Tigers wanted to acquire two starters to push Simon to the bullpen and keep Greene in Toledo, they could try to pull two of these starters to Detroit.

• Buy Starter/Reliever Combo: Scott Kazmir and Tyler Clippard

As it was already stated, the Tigers do not have enough to bring in Cueto, so they will not pull Cuteo and Aroldis Chapman which leaves Kazmir and Clippard as a viable combination from one team. This would milk the already barren farm system even drier. If the Tigers were to go all in, this may be the deal they tried to make.

• Sell David Price

On the flip side, if the Tigers were to sell, the two pieces they would sell at the highest price are David Price and Cespedes. Price would bring in the bigger haul in the range of a Drew Smyly type of player to an Addison Russel type prospect. If the Tigers cannot get something extremely useful for the future for Price, they should just hold onto him and collect the compensation pick they will get if he departs.

• Sell Yoenis Cespedes

If the Tigers were to sell, Cespedes would be the first piece to go since the Tigers would not get a compensation pick after he departs. Bats are cheaper than arms, so the Tigers would need to make sure the trade was worth selling, since they are only 3.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. Once a team is into the postseason, anything can happen.

• Buy by Selling Justin Verlander

This is the biggest stretch of a trade, but the Tigers unloaded Prince Fielder’s contract to the Texas Rangers. The Tigers would have to take on parts of Verlander’s contract, but if they sold Verlander, they could open up some of his contract space to buy more players down the line. The right deal would need to come along, but Dave Dombrowski traded Fielder’s untradeable contract. Maybe lightning can strike twice for the Tigers.

Next: The future of the team and Dombrowski at the midway point