MLB Trade Rumors: Teams Asking for Tigers’ Young Pitchers

The MLB trade deadline is finally upon us, and that means plenty of MLB Trade Rumors. Teams are reportedly asking for the same Tigers players in trade talks— Michael Fulmer, Daniel Norris and Matt Boyd.

Before he was dealt from Cleveland to the Yankees yesterday, the Tigers were reportedly interested in ace reliever Andrew Miller. However, one problem was that New York had an extremely high asking price for their former pitcher.

Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi passed along a television report from Fox Sports Detroit’s John Keating regarding the Tigers and Miller. Morosi tweeted, “Report from @JohnKeatingFSD just now on @FoxSportsDet: #Tigers inquired to #Yankees about Miller. Ask was Fulmer, Matt Boyd, Joe Jimenez.”

Now it seems that other ball clubs are doing exactly what the Yankees reportedly did in asking for Detroit’s best young pitchers in trade talks.

The Oakland Press’ Matthew B. Mowery reported early on Monday morning that other teams are indeed asking for Michael Fulmer, Daniel Norris and Matt Boyd. Mowery tweeted, “Tigers probably don’t do much today, if asks from teams don’t move off Fulmer, Norris, Boyd. (so far that’s all teams have asked for).”

It makes a lot of sense for the Tigers to keep hold of the three young pitchers, for the present and the future. Fulmer has arguably been the team’s best starting pitcher this season and looks primed to be a frontline pitcher or ace for the long haul. The 23-year-old owns a 9-2 record, a 2.50 ERA, a 3.7 WAR and 84 strikeouts in 97.1 innings pitched.

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Additionally, Norris and Boyd have also flashed the potential to be above-average starters or better in the future.

Despite limited starts from Norris and Boyd, the two have been much more consistent than the struggling veteran duo of Anibal Sanchez and Mike Pelfrey.

Dealing any of the team’s young pitching, even for a rental, would mean Detroit would likely need to rely on Sanchez or Pelfrey at some point in time. If nothing else, that’s reason to keep the younger pitchers as they give the Tigers the best chance to win now and later.

It seems that Detroit wants to hang on to the two starters acquired in the David Price blockbuster last July.

According to ESPN’s Jayson Stark, the Tigers are “adamant about not moving Matt Boyd or Daniel Norris.” The reporter tweeted, “Hearing rumblings about the Tigers & Hector Santiago but still seems unlikely. Detroit adamant about not moving Matt Boyd or Daniel Norris.”

While Hector Santiago would be an intriguing addition to the Tigers staff, his numbers this season (4.25 ERA, 5.03 FIP and a league-leading 57 walks) suggest he wouldn’t be much of an upgrade—if any—over Boyd or Norris.

Next: Tigers Linked to Starting Pitching

The Tigers are playing it smart in holding on to Fulmer, Norris and Boyd.