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Detroit Tigers: Three Winners From Cameron Maybin Trade

By Ben Rosener |
Aug 31, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers center fielder JaCoby Jones (40) hits a double in the ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park. Detroit won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 31, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers center fielder JaCoby Jones (40) hits a double in the ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park. Detroit won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
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May 16, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers center fielder Cameron Maybin (4) receives congratulations from teammates after scoring in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
May 16, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers center fielder Cameron Maybin (4) receives congratulations from teammates after scoring in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /

Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila kicked off the offseason on Thursday by trading center fielder Cameron Maybin to the Angels. Here are three winners from the trade.

Detroit Tigers fans will see a new starting center fielder come Opening Day. Following the trade of previous starter Cameron Maybin to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, change is coming at the position.

While Detroit isn’t the deepest team in Major League Baseball, they do have plenty of options to replace the outgoing Maybin.

JaCoby Jones, Tyler Collins and Anthony Gose are all candidates to fill in. Additionally, both Justin Upton and Andrew Romine proved they could handle center field duties on a limited basis.

The Tigers will, no doubt, miss Maybin’s bat in the lineup.

In 94 games for Detroit, the fleet of foot center fielder hit .315 with a solid .383 on-base percentage. He also continued his career trend of being a threat on the bases, with 15 steals and a 2.5 BsR.

While none of his potential in-house replacements bring the same skill set to the table, there is plenty to like about the decision to deal Maybin to Los Angeles.

Here are three winners from the Cameron Maybin trade.

Aug 31, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers center fielder JaCoby Jones (40) runs the bases against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 31, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers center fielder JaCoby Jones (40) runs the bases against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /

Winner #1 JaCoby Jones

The Detroit Tigers haven’t produced many impact Major League players from the minor league system. Justin Verlander, Nick Castellanos and Rick Porcello serve as the three most notable examples in recent memory, but that’s been about it.

However, things could be changing.

High-upside prospects like Matt Manning, Christin Stewart, Joe Jimenez and Derek Hill will reach the big leagues in the near future.

While all have excellent potential, the first of Detroit’s new wave of young talent to reach the Majors was JaCoby Jones.

A versatile defender with the ability to contribute with plus speed and power, Jones has all kinds of potential. If he can keep his strikeouts in check, the former Pittsburgh farmhand can be an elite player.

With Maybin now in Anaheim, Jones faces significantly less competition in terms of starting for the Detroit Tigers in 2017.

Right now, his immediate competition includes Tyler Collins and Anthony Gose. Collins has shown upside in the past, but logged just an 84 wRC+ and a .299 wOBA last season. A natural corner outfielder, he may be better suited as a bench cog or platoon option.

Then there’s Gose, whose wRC+ (69) and wOBA (.277) made Collins’ numbers look much more appealing. This is all without mentioning the outfielder’s struggles in the minors following a demotion last year. Gose hit .224 in 40 games at Double-A, while batting .185 with a .255 on-base percentage in Triple-A.

Provided he produces in Spring Training, JaCoby Jones could open the season as Detroit’s starting center fielder. Given his potential, he could stick at the position for the foreseeable future.

February 26, 2016; Tempe, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Victor Alcantara (86) poses for a picture during photo day at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
February 26, 2016; Tempe, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Victor Alcantara (86) poses for a picture during photo day at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Winner #2 The Long-Term Outlook of Detroit’s Bullpen

The Detroit Tigers bullpen hasn’t exactly been the best in years past. In fact, it’s been pretty dreadful at times.

However, things took a step forward last season as the arrivals of Francisco Rodriguez and Justin Wilson, coupled with the emergence of Kyle Ryan and Bruce Rondon, brought stability.

Now it seems that the Tigers bullpen could get even better as time goes on.

Not only did the team pick up Rodriguez’ option for next season, but Joe Jimenez will likely make his Major League debut at some point in the coming year.

With a minor league system filled with intriguing relief prospects like Mark Ecker, Paul Voelker, Gerson Moreno, Adam Ravenelle, Drew Smith and Jairo Labourt, there is plenty to like for the future.

More exciting still is the potential three-headed bullpen monster that could be composed of Jimenez, Rondon and Victor Alcantara.

Alcantara, the player acquired for Maybin, has been a starter in the minors, but could thrive in relief.

Like Jimenez and Rondon, he features a blazing fastball that sits in the upper 90s.

Also like his two fellow relievers, Alcantara can turn to a plus off-speed offering in a slider that is thrown with significant velocity.

Aug 8, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers executive vice president and general manager Al Avila before the game against the Boston Red Sox at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 8, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers executive vice president and general manager Al Avila before the game against the Boston Red Sox at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /

Winner #3 Al Avila

Al Avila didn’t wait long to make his first trade of the offseason in bringing in Alcantara from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

While the Halos haven’t been the gold standard of farm systems in the past, Avila did extremely well to nab arguably Anaheim’s best pitching prospects in exchange for one year of Maybin.

The reality was that with Jones having already forced his way onto the Major League roster and Derek Hill a few years away, Maybin wasn’t the best long-term fit in Detroit.

Dealing the center fielder allowed Avila to bring in a potential long-term piece in the bullpen who could eventually develop into a late-inning arm.

Alcantara isn’t perfect on the mound, but his fastball-slider combination could be extremely effective in relief.

Additionally, Avila did all this while managing to shed significant salary. Per Spotrac, Maybin had a $9 million option on his contract for next season.

With the outfielder now in Anaheim, Detroit has one less expensive contract to worry about.

Next: More on Maybin Trade to Angels

Maybin likely won’t be the only player traded by Avila this offseason. However, the general manager comes away a winner in this deal considering he was able to obtain a high-upside prospect for a potential rental.

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