Detroit Tigers: No Reason to Buy or Sell at Trade Deadline

After six wins in a row, the Detroit Tigers are proving that they are a team of contenders. A team that can win and win big.

The Detroit Tigers swept two good teams, the Boston Red Sox and the Houston Astros. The Tigers and Red Sox now share the same number of wins and the Astros are sitting farther back in second place behind the Texas Rangers in the AL West.

But, before the two series, both teams had better records than the Tigers. With the Trade Deadline less than 24 hours away, there is no sign that the Tigers are going to do any trading and there really is no reason why they should.

It is no secret that the Tigers are chasing the Indians in the AL Central. The gap between the two teams continues to be 4.5 games because the Indians continue winning. But, the Tigers are only one team and two games away from being the AL Wild Card team. The Tigers have closed this gap with a team that is missing one of its best hitters, J.D. Martinez, and one of its best pitchers, Jordan Zimmermann. It also has done it pitchers like Mike Pelfrey, Anibal Sanchez, and Mark Lowe.

The Tigers have been working on building up the farm system and right now, there is good talent in all Minor League levels. Al Avila does not want to trade them for a rental, even if that rental is someone like Jake Odorizzi, Jonathan Lucroy, or Rich Hill. Teams want the top prospects, like Michael Fulmer, Daniel Norris, and Joe Jimenez and Avila is not giving them to anyone.

And really, if you think about, why would Avila even consider trading these pitchers for older pitchers. It wouldn’t make any sense.

According to Anthony Fenech with the Detroit Free Press, Al Avila said: “Anytime we’ve talked about any pitcher of any significance, the guys that we’re asked about are the guys we don’t want to trade. So can you imagine if I would’ve traded Norris and Fulmer back in the wintertime for whoever? Right now, we would have not been in this situation. We would have been in a bad situation. So that’s what we’re trying to avoid. That’s why we want to keep those guys and move forward in that frame of mind.”

If the Tigers can continue to play like they have against the Red Sox and the Astros, then there is no reason to make any trades. This team is ready to go. Even though Pelfrey has been questionable in many starts, he actually pitched shut-out baseball against the team that has Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and George Springer. Mike Pelfrey. 

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And in the game on Saturday night, the clutch hitting and running didn’t come from Miguel Cabrera or Victor Martinez. It came from the guys at the bottom of the lineup – Tyler Collins, James McCann, and Jose Iglesias. Even in Sunday afternoon games, the biggest hit of the game came from James McCann. (Could his big hits have come from the fear of Lucroy taking his spot?)

The Tigers are not only showing they can pitch and hit. They’ve been stealing bases (Cameron Maybin), throwing out runners at second base (James McCann), and playing quality defense. They’ve even laid down a few bunts and hit some sac flies. This team is pulling it all together and just at the right time.

The Tigers are showing that they can win in the late innings. This feels like a new thing. They are manufacturing runs and supporting their pitchers. They are playing like a team that is on a mission. In reality, they are playing like a real team in the full sense of the word.

Next: The Tigers Talked to Miller Before Indians Trade

That seems to be enough for Al Avila and for the Detroit Tigers.