Detroit Tigers executive vice president of baseball operations and general manager Al Avila could conceivably make some trades this offseason. One potential trade partner is St. Louis.
Detroit Tigers fans have seen Al Avila use plenty of his best trade chips already.
Since July, the Tigers have moved outfielders J.D. Martinez and Justin Upton, starting pitcher Justin Verlander, catcher Alex Avila and relief pitcher Justin Wilson.
More trades could be coming.
Detroit is in a full-blown rebuild and any trade that can make the team better over the long haul has to be, at the very least, considered.
To that end, shortstop Jose Iglesias and second baseman Ian Kinsler could conceivably be moved.
Neither veteran exactly fits the team’s rebuild from an age standpoint.
Wilson and Greene
Two other veterans who could also be trade candidates are relievers Alex Wilson and Shane Greene.
The duo should hold plenty of appeal given their respective controllability.
According to Spotrac, Wilson is controllable through 2019. Per the same publication, Greene is controllable through the 2020 campaign.
Of the two, Greene would presumably be more valuable given extended control and the ability to pitch in a variety of different bullpen roles.
In a perfect world, he’d be on the next great Detroit Tigers team. However, if moving him makes the team better down the road, it has to be explored.
The right-hander’s closing experience down the stretch should make that much more appealing to other teams in a trade.
As it would happen, the St. Louis Cardinals are in need of a closer, not to mention late-inning bullpen help in general.
Here’s a trade the Tigers should make with the Cardinals.