Detroit Tigers: One possible trade option for J.D. Martinez

The front office of the Detroit Tigers has made it clear they are willing to clean house if this season doesn’t take a positive turn soon.

Detroit Tigers outfielder J.D. Martinez is the big trade token on the roster.  So what is he worth exactly?

The answer is quite a bit. He must have spent his DL time on the sun because his hitting has been hot since he returned to the team.

One place to trade him that could benefit both sides is the St. Louis Cardinals who need an outfielder with a middle-of-the-lineup bat and they have prospects to move.

So who could the Detroit Tigers target?

Harrison Bader and Magneuris Sierra

For this to work at all though, one player needs to, and I mean NEEDS to be involved. That is prospect outfielder Harrison Bader.

He showed in Spring Training that he is ready for a shot in the Bigs hitting .346.  But things in St. Louis are moving slowly for many prospects at the moment.

Bader is more attainable than almost any other prospect of his caliber in the entire league because of Magneuris Sierra.

Sierra is a lower ranked prospect, but will most likely be tougher to trade for due to his .375 batting average in the MLB.

Randal Grichuk

Who would want a guy who was just sent to Single-A straight from the MLB? The Detroit Tigers, that’s who.

Grichuk has been a quality outfielder for a couple years, and is having a down one. But a change of scenery and another shot to prove himself might be just what he needs.

The poor showing this season suggest Grichuk would need to be a supplemental piece, not the main target.  But he poses an interesting option to bolster the Tiger lineup.

Remember, Martinez was just a mediocre hitter before the Detroit Tigers’ coaching staff got a hold of him.

Eliezer Alvarez or Edmundo Sosa

The Cardinals have a total of 3 middle infielders in their top 30 ranked prospects.  It is unlikely the team will part with Delvin Perez, who carries the highest rank.

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Both Alvarez and Sosa (yes, his dad is Sammy Sosa) look to be solid future big leaguers.  They were both protected before the Rule 5 Draft this past offseason, which means the organization feels they are valuable in some way.

They also pose as future replacements for Nicholas Castellanos and Jose Iglesias who are both very frustrating players at times.  The idea of someone behind them could raise their level of play, or excite the fans about new jerseys in their spot.  Options are never a bad thing.

Pitchers

This is what St. Louis has in abundance.  There are so many pitchers who look like solid future Major Leaguers.  They have guys who are projected for all parts of the rotation.

One guy to take particular interest in is Zac Gallen.  He is projected to the middle of the rotation, but is pitching like he will be better.  MLB Pipeline is confident that he will be a big leaguer, they just can’t pinpoint how good he will be.

Right now, Gallen has an ERA of 1.65 over his first 10 starts this year in the minors.  He starting in High-A ball but has been moved to Double-A.

Gallen is just the tip of the iceberg.  Seventeen of 30 prospects are pitchers.  If this talk happens, the Detroit Tigers front office may want to add one in on the back end of the deal.

This being the last year of his contract, Martinez does lose some value there.  But it is not a deal breaker by any means.

I also am not saying the Tigers should only go for prospects.  But if they are willing to sell their best hitter, I am willing to bet they want to plan for the future.  The Cardinals could be of help there.

Next: Tigers need Buck Farmer to pitch in the rotation

There are plenty of teams that would be interested in Martinez.  St. Louis just creates a very interesting and potentially lucrative option for the Detroit Tigers.  This move is way off in the future, if it happens it will be closer to the trade deadline.  Only time can truly tell this story.