Detroit Tigers: Players least likely to be traded

Detroit Tigers fans could see some activity as the trade deadline approaches. However, a complete tear-down seems unlikely for a number of reasons. Here are the players least likely to be dealt.

Detroit Tigers players will look to start the second half of the season with a step in the right direction with some much-needed wins.

The team enters the second half under .500 for the first time in recent memory.

While Detroit could conceivably trade off a few pieces with the trade deadline fast approaching, there are also a number of players who are likely to stay in the Motor City.

It obviously remains to be seen just what the teams does. However, here’s a look at the kind of players who likely won’t be going anywhere.

Any Prospects

This is pretty obvious, so we’ll get it out of the way early.

Even if Detroit had the best record in baseball at the trade deadline, the team probably wasn’t going to burn any prospects on improvements considering the team’s thin farm system.

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10-and-5 veterans

Veterans with 10 years of experience and at least five years with their current team have full no-trade protection and have the power to veto any trade.

For the Tigers, this means Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander and Victor Martinez all have the ability to put the brakes on any potential trade.

There’s also the fact that Cabrera, Verlander and Martinez all have significant money left on their respective deals, which could hypothetically keep teams away.

Jordan Zimmermann

While Zimmermann doesn’t have 10-and-five rights, the former National has a full no-trade clause. According to Spotrac, the starter has full no-trade protection through next season.

Even in hypothetical event that the veteran were to accept a trade, Detroit probably wouldn’t move Zimmermann  considering they could get much better value out of the starter if he turns things around.

As of now, the 31-year-old is sporting a 5.27 xFIP and a 1.516 WHIP in 95 frames.

Young guys

Again, another obvious one, but the Tigers probably aren’t trading Michael Fulmer, Daniel Norris or Matt Boyd for anything less than an astronomical return.

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Additionally, the likes of James McCann, Dixon Machado and Bruce Rondon could develop into key pieces for Detroit down the line, making them unlikely to be moved.

Controllable, potential long-term pieces

In the same vein as McCann and Rondon, the Detroit Tigers should hang onto to the likes of Shane Greene and Mikie Mahtook.

With all of Detroit’s more effective, younger and controllable players, the team would probably get an excellent return in any trade considering the players are just that, controllable.

However, Greene has been excellent coming out of the bullpen in a role akin to the one Andrew Miller plays in Cleveland.

So far, Detroit’s reliever has punched out 9.46 batters per nine frames. He’s also posted

a strikeout percentage of 25 and a ground ball percentage of 47.

Additionally, Mahtook has started to make good on his promising upside. A solid fielder with pop and speed, the ex-Ray is starting to turn things around.

Next: Five Tigers who could be traded

He failed to top .200 in terms of batting average in the first two months of the season, but is batted .333 in June and .308 so far in July.