Detroit Tigers: Why A Potential Justin Wilson Trade Return Should Be Significant

Recent Deals

While the free agent market has provided a number of relatively lucrative contracts for relievers lately, teams have also received excellent returns in recent trades for bullpen arms.

The Kansas City Royals flipped Wade Davis to the Chicago Cubs for Jorge Soler.

Davis is under team control for one more season, while Soler doesn’t reach free agency until the conclusion of the 2020 campaign and looks like a potential middle-of-the-order bat.

While Wilson doesn’t have the track record that Davis does, Detroit’s setup reliever should still fetch a high price in a trade should the Tigers chose to move him.

Another recent example that may be more comparable is the Tyler Thornburg trade.

Boston acquired the 28-year-old for Travis Shaw and a pair of minor league prospects with Major League upside.

Over the past two seasons, Shaw has accumulated 3.0 WAR while providing pop at both infield corner spots. The 26-year-old isn’t arbitration eligible until after the 2018 season, and is under team control through 2021.

Last season, Shaw drove in 71 runs in 145 games. He also collected 63 runs scored, 34 doubles, 16 home runs, five stolen bases and a pair of triples.

Additionally, one of the two prospects heading to the Brewers, Mauricio Dubon, batted .339 in Double-A last season. He could be in the Majors before too long.

The third prospect in the deal, Josh Pennington, is a 21-year-old starting pitcher who owns a 2.29 ERA in the low minors.