Detroit Tigers hypothetical trade idea: Justin Wilson to Houston Astros

Detroit Tigers reliever Justin Wilson’s name has been bandied about in trade rumors as of late. Here’s a hypothetical trade idea worked out with the folks at Climbing Tal’s Hill.

Detroit Tigers fans could see the team make a few moves in the coming days. One potential trade partner is the Houston Astros.

We here at Motor City Bengals reached out to our friends at Climbing Tal’s Hill, FanSided’s Astros website, to work out a mock trade.

In terms of negotiations, Justin Wilson was the obvious centerpiece of the deal.

Wilson is without a doubt Detroit’s best trade chip, and could bring in a substantial haul before all is said and done.

The southpaw can fill a variety of roles for teams in terms of closing, serving as a setup man, or pitching multiple innings.

Wilson also misses plenty of bats, as evidenced by his 12.58 strikeouts per nine innings, a 35.7 strikeout percentage and a 14.4 swinging strike percentage.

It certainly doesn’t hurt that the 29-year-old is also sporting a 2.75 ERA, a 3.23 FIP, a 3.43 xFIP and a 2.86 SIERA in 39.1 innings.

Here’s the hypothetical/mock trade we negotiated with Climbing Tal’s Hill.

Houston Astros receive: left-handed reliever Justin Wilson and shortstop Jose Iglesias

Detroit Tigers receive: right-handed reliever James Hoyt, outfielder Derek Fisher and first base prospect Yordan Alvarez

Breakdown for the Detroit Tigers

James Hoyt

Justin Wilson is going to be difficult to replace for the Detroit Tigers.

In terms of replacement closers, the team doesn’t have many. Shane Greene is better suited throwing multiple innings and putting out fires at earlier points in the game.

Meanwhile, Bruce Rondon has been up and down. There’s also Joe Jimenez, who seems like the most logical fit.

Jimenez has closed games in the minors and looks like the future closer for Detroit. However, the Tigers may find it prudent to ease him into high-pressure situations.

In this scenario, the team would need to pair him with another arm to handle ninth-inning duties.

Luckily, Detroit acquired one in this hypothetical trade: James Hoyt.

According to Spotrac, Hoyt is controllable through the 2022 season. He also is elite when it comes to missing bats.

On the season, the right-hander is punching out 13.74 batters per nine frames in 37.1 innings this season.

That number ranks sixth in the Majors among relievers. Additionally, only Craig Kimbrel and Roberto Osuna haven logged higher swinging strike percentages than Hoyt’s 18.3 number.

The Houston reliever also ranks 15^th in the league in terms of strikeout percentage with a 35.2%. That checks in right behind Wilson at 15.

Players with a lower strikeout percentage than Hoyt around the league include Wade Davis, Brad Hand, Cody Allen and Felipe Rivero.

James Hoyt’s 5.54 ERA isn’t anything to write home about, but the hurler’s other run-prevention numbers are noteworthy.

Hoyt’s additional stats are as follows: 3.07 FIP, 2.51 xFIP and a 2.32 SIERA.

Derek Fisher

A potential outfield solution for the Detroit Tigers for the next decade, Derek Fisher could step in right away for the Tigers in either center field or right field.

He’s already logged 33 plate appearances for Houston this year, collecting five RBI, five runs scored, a pair of home runs and a stolen base.

Moving forward, Fisher should continue to contribute at the dish and on the base paths.

Possessing an intriguing mix of power and speed, Fisher has shined in Triple-A this year.

In 384 plate appearances at the minor’s highest level, the outfielder is batting .318 with a .973 OPS and a 9.1 walk percentage.

Fisher has also chipped in with 66 RBI, 63 runs scored, 21 home runs, 16 stolen baes and a 144 wRC+.

Able to play all three outfield spots, Fisher could start in center field every day and shift Mikie Mahtook to right field in the process.

The team could also keep Mahtook and slide Fisher to right field depending on which defensive alignment works best.

Fisher’s arrival would also give the team more outfield options and depth moving forward.

In a perfect world, Christin Stewart would occupy right field from Opening Day and never relinquish the job.

However, adding Fisher would give the team the flexibility to bring Stewart along more slowly.

Additionally, Fisher also gives Detroit an added outfielder in the chance that Justin Upton opts out of his deal in the offseason and leaves via free agency.

Yordan Alvarez

The Detroit Tigers don’t have many options to replace Miguel Cabrera at first base long term. Of course, the slugger’s contract will keep him in the Motor City through at least 2023 (per Spotrac).

Still, a transition from first base to designated hitter could be coming whenever Victor Martinez decides to move on.

Because of Cabrera’s extended period of excellence with the Tigers, Detroit hasn’t needed to worry about drafting a future first baseman in the past.

The team did add Reynaldo Rivera in the second round of the 2017 draft, but the slugger may stick in the one of outfield corners long term.

One player who could eventually step in for Cabrera is Yordan Alvarez, the third piece in this hypothetical trade.

A participant in this year’s Futures Game in Miami over the All-Star break, Alvarez has shown considerable offensive upside in the low minors with 47 RBI, 32 runs scored, 12 doubles and 10 home runs in 57 games.

He’s also hitting .318, and has notched an impressive .413 on-base percentage this season.

The 20-year-old is still a ways away from the Major Leagues considering he was just promoted to Advanced-A Buies Creek.

However, it isn’t hard to imagine Alvarez eventually hitting in the middle of the Detroit Tigers lineup down the line.