Detroit Tigers have personnel to trade some veterans, still contend

Detroit Tigers players are in the midst of an eight-game losing streak. The season still has a ways to go. Detroit could trade veterans like J.D. Martinez, Justin Wilson and Jose Iglesias while staying competitive.

Detroit Tigers fans haven’t seen the most complete, on-field product as of late.

The Tigers haven’t exactly been playing a poor brand of baseball that one would associate with an eight-game slide. Their run differential over the span is -24, but Detroit has kept it close or had a lead in all but one of the eight games.

With July right around the corner and the trade deadline approaching, it will be interesting to see how the Tigers progress from here.

Nothing is set in stone at this point. The team probably wasn’t going to be buyers, even if they owned one of baseball’s best records, due to the payroll and a thin farm system.

However, the team clearly aren’t sellers yet.

Given the nature of the standings, Detroit is just a hot streak away from being right back in the thick of things.

Regardless of the team’s record or place in the standings come trade season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Tigers make a trade or two.

While J.D. Martinez has performed at an elite level offensively in his tenure in the Motor City, Detroit probably needs to trade him if they aren’t going to hand him a hefty contract when his deal expires in the offseason rather than risk losing him for nothing.

Potentially the best position player on the trade market, Martinez could conceivably draw a significant haul in return.

Purely from a speculative standpoint, a number of teams who could be fits for the slugger include the Astros, Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Blue Jays.

Two other potential trade candidates are Justin Wilson and Jose Iglesias.

Controllability carries a lot of value these days, and both Iglesias and Wilson are under control through next season.