Detroit Tigers: Taking on contracts could provide useful in adding prospects

Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila will be working with more financial flexibility this offseason. He should use some money to add prospects in salary dump trades.

Detroit Tigers fans could very well see some trades this offseason.

With the rebuild now fully on after the deals sending Justins Verlander and Upton out of the Motor City, Detroit will be getting significantly younger.

Among the names who could conceivably be traded this winter include Ian Kinsler, Jose Iglesias and Shane Greene.

In a perfect world, Avila will be able to find takers for Jordan Zimmermann and Victor Martinez’ hefty contracts.

While it remains to be seen what happens with the Tigers, one thing is for certain for the team: more financial flexibility.

The non-waiver and waiver trade deadlines sapped Detroit of much of the team’s top-tier talent like Verlander, J.D. Martinez, Justin Upton, Alex Avila and Justin Wilson.

However, those moves freed up plenty of cash as well.

Some financial freedom

With the contracts of Martinez, Upton, Avila and Wilson completely off the Tigers’ hands, Detroit’s payroll outlook isn’t as daunting as it once was.

What’s more, Anibal Sanchez has a $16 million option on his contract (per Spotrac) that can be bought out for $5 million this winter.

Additionally, past commitments to Mike Pelfrey, Francisco Rodriguez and Mark Lowe will also come off the books.

There will obviously be arbitration rises elsewhere—not to mention Zimmermann’s contract jumping from $18 million to $24 million according to Spotrac—but the extra wiggle room will be there.

Taking on some contracts may not be a terrible idea

The Tigers obviously shouldn’t be heavily tacking on to the team’s payroll again.

However, there’s merit in absorbing another team’s bad contract in order to snag a potentially valuable prospect.

Just two Julys ago, Atlanta took on Bronson Arroyo’s deal, along with highly-touted starting pitching prospect Touki Tossaint, for utility man Phillip Gosselin.

Toussaint, 21, just made the jump to Double-A, where he logged a 3.18 ERA and 1.311 WHIP to go along with 10 strikeouts per nine frames in 39.2 innings.

Absorbing short-term contracts from other teams looking to create financial wiggle room could be an avenue for Al Avila and company to net some additional prospects to hasten the rebuild.

This is all speculative mind you, and it remains to be seen if any of these players are even traded, but here are some players the Detroit Tigers could take on in a trade in order to add prospects.

Brandon Moss

Similar to Hammel, Moss could be dealt to clear up some cash. That being said, he’s probably more expendable to the Royals.

Kansas City can plug in Jorge Soler or Jorge Bonifacio at designated hitter while using the other in left field.

Of course, Moss provides insurance should Hosmer depart, but he’s expendable if the first baseman sticks around.

According to Spotrac, Moss is set to make $7.25 million in 2018. He has a $10 million club option on his contract for the 2019 season before hitting free agency.

Moss is hitting just .210 with a .283 on-base percentage and an 87 wRC+ this year/

However, he’s also been impacted by a .248 BABIP, suggesting he’s better than his on-base numbers would indicate.

What’s more, the veteran has mashed 22 home runs to go along with a .231 ISO in 385 plate appearances.

How he’d fit in Detroit

Defensively, he’d give the Detroit Tigers some much-needed versatility as the team embarks on a rebuild.

Able to play first base and the corner outfield spots, Moss would provide a significant boost.

This would be especially true if Detroit moves on from Victor Martinez in the offseason.

If Martinez departs, Moss could see time at first base. This would give Miguel Cabrera more games at designated hitter.

What’s more, he could also spend time in the outfield corners as either a place holder for, or in a platoon with, Christin Stewart or Mike Gerber.

Also like Hammel, Moss too could develop into a trade chip down the line.

Marc Rzepczynski

Seattle Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto is no stranger to significantly shaking up his team in the offseason.

Dipoto has essentially done this with the M’s the last two offseasons. That being said, the general manager could be busy again this winter.

Seattle is in win-now mode, but isn’t anywhere close to contending with Houston in the American League West.

What’s more, the Angels and Rangers are seemingly neck-and-neck with the M’s, if not ahead of them in the division-hierarchy heading into 2018.

Currently, the Mariners have long-term commitments to Felix Hernandez, Robinson Cano, Mike Leake, Kyle Seager and Jean Segura.

Per Spotrac, Seager and Segura will see significant bumps in salary next season.

Seager will go from $11 million to $19 million while Segura will go from $6.7 million to $9.5 million.

Add in likely arbitration raises for James Paxton, David Phelps, Mike Zunino and Erasmo Ramirez, and any financial flexibility gained from getting the contracts of Hisashi Iwakuma, Yovani Gallardo, Danny Valencia, Yonder Alonso and Carlos Ruiz’ contract will help little—especially if the M’s intend to re-sign fellow free-agent-to-be Jarrod Dyson or make a higher-priced acquisition elsewhere.

Why Rzepczynski could conceivably be expendable

First base and the outfield corners remain as needs for Seattle. Because of this, the team could conceivably spend some money at either position.

One player who could conceivably be dealt is reliever Marc Rzepczynski.

Owed $5.5 million next season before hitting free agency, per Spotrac, Rzepczynski has been a dependable reliever in the past.

However, the Mariners have more affordable relievers in Emilio Pagan, Nick Vincent and Tony Zych to set up Edwin Diaz.

Rzepczynski has turned in a respectable 4.38 xFIP this year, but has missed nearly as many bats. His swinging strike percentage dropped from 11.2 in 2016 to 10.5 this year.

He’s sporting a 6.97 strikeouts per nine innings rate this year, down from 8.69. Additionally, he’s seen his strikeout percentage fall from 21.4 to 17.9.

The prospect received in a hypothetical Rzepczynski likely wouldn’t be as valuable as a prospect acquired for taking on a bigger contract. However, there’s potential value all the same.

Detroit could plug the southpaw in as one of Shane Greene’s top setup options.

This way, the Tigers would be able to bring Joe Jimenez, Bryan Garcia and Jairo Labourt along slowly in the early parts of 2018.

The team could then trade Rzepczynski at the trade deadline for further prospects.

Francisco Cervelli

The Pirates are also no strangers to salary dumps.

Pittsburgh flipped Francisco Liriano, along with well-regarded prospects Harold Ramirez and Reese McGuire to Toronto for Drew Hutchison.

If the team looks to move on from more prominent contracts, Francisco Cervelli could conceivably be dealt.

Cervelli’s impact has slowly diminished over the last few years.

Since posting a 3.7 WAR and a 117 wRC+ in 2015, the backstop has a cumulative 2.6 WAR. This includes a 1.0 number in 2017.

His wRC+ is down to 93 this season after checking in at 98 in the 2016 campaign.

Additionally, the veteran’s strikeout rate continues to rise. It reached 21.4% this year after finishing at 18.4% and 18.3% in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

Other notable contracts

Owed $10.5 million in 2018 and $11.5 million in 2019, per Spotrac, Cervelli is Pittsburgh’s most expensive player outside of Andrew McCutchen.

What’s more, the Pirates will also see (according to Spotrac) the salaries of Josh Harrison, Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco rise over the next few seasons due to previous extensions.

There’s also Gerrit Cole’s two remaining years of arbitration, as well as closer Felipe Rivero’s first foray into the arbitration process.

In short, the small-market Bucs could use the financial flexibility.

Taking on Cervelli’s deal along with a prospect like shortstop Cole Tucker, first baseman Will Craig or reliever Dovydas Neverauskas would certainly help the Detroit Tigers.

Meanwhile, in this hypothetical scenario, the veteran catcher would see time as James McCann’s primary backup. John Hicks would shift to first base in the scenario.

Other options

Yasmany Tomas

If the Arizona Diamondbacks need to clear out salary in order to try and retain J.D. Martinez, Tomas seems like a potential candidate to go.

The outfielder, per Spotrac, is making $13.5 million in 2018 with player options for the 2019 and 2020 seasons set at $15.5 and $17 million.

Outside of Pavin Smith and Josh Duplantier, there isn’t much top-tier talent in Arizona’s minor league system.

Detroit should obviously jump at the chance if either player is involved in a salary dump. However, both players seem highly unlikely to be moved in that kind of a deal.

Crazier things have happened though. Arizona did move Toussaint to be rid of Arroyo’s contract.

Sean Rodriguez

Back to Pittsburgh, where Sean Rodriguez is another player whose salary the Pirates could conceivably shed if the team looks to free up more cash.

According to Spotrac, the versatile Rodriguez is making $5.5 million in the last year of two-year deal in 2018.

Like Rzepczynski, he wouldn’t necessarily come a highly-regarded prospect.

That being said, adding Rodriguez and a low-level prospect or two wouldn’t be the worst outcome for the Detroit Tigers.

In this hypothetical transaction, the Tigers would pick up a player in Rodriguez who is essentially Andrew Romine with more pop.

Able to play every position besides pitcher and catcher, Rodriguez turned in a 128 wRC+, a .240 ISO, 35 extra-base hits and a .349 on-base percentage 342 plate appearances in 2016.

He wasn’t able to replicate those numbers in an injury-shortened 2017 campaign (54 wRC+, .274 on-base percentage in 136 plate appearances).

However, Detroit could play him all over the diamond depending on where the need is.

Next: The Tigers won’t be this bad next season

As with many on this list, Rodriguez could develop into a trade chip. He could appeal to a contender in search of a versatile bench piece for the stretch run.