Detroit Tigers: Is Jose Iglesias a good fit for the Twins?

The Detroit Tigers have made it clear that Jose Iglesias is not a part of the teams future. Could he be dealt to the shortstop-needy Twins?

Detroit Tigers General Manager Al Avila stated that Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias is ‘not a part of the teams future‘. The expectation is that Iglesias will be dealt at the trade deadline, so the Tigers can acquire prospects instead of letting him go in free agency.

The 28-year-old Iglesias hit .255 last season with six home runs, seven stolen bases and a 73 OPS+. While his glove is still elite, he has shown very little with the bat over the last two seasons. He is owed $6.275 million this year, a hefty price for a glove first infielder with a below average bat.

He was not dealt this offseason mostly because few teams had a need for a shortstop. The expectation is that teams will want to take a chance on Iglesias in July, after injuries or ineffectiveness plague their current starter.

However, just yesterday a contending team was dealt a massive blow, as Minnesota Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco was suspended 80 games for PED use.

Could the Tigers reverse course and offer Jose Iglesias to a division rival? Would the Twins even be interested in acquiring Iglesias as a temporary fill-in? What kind of prospect capital could the Tigers get in return for Iggy? And finally, who would play shortstop if Igleisas were dealt?

The Twins current depth chart

Jorge Polanco sat atop the Twins depth chart at shortstop before his suspension. However, the Twins have a collection of internal options to replace him. Chief among them is veteran utility infielder Eduardo Escobar.

Escobar, 29, has seen over 350 at-bats in each of the last four seasons as Minnesota’s go to utility player. He has primarily played shortstop and third base, although he does have experience at second base and in the outfield as well.

Presently, Escobar is expected to step into Polanco’s role. That leaves the Twins without their top utility man. The team will likely have either veteran Ehire Adrianza or Erick Aybar fill that role, with each having experience at multiple infield positions.

Iggy’s Fit

However, adding Iglesias would allow the team to keep Escobar in his super-utility role, while giving the team a superior defensive shortstop. Polanco is a below average defender, and while Escobar is solid, he provides more value as a utility player.

The Twins could theoretically trade for Iglesias and plop him into the starting shortstop position for the first half of the year. That keeps Escobar in his super utility role, with Adrianza either in the minor leagues or in another bench role. When Polanco is eligible to return, the Twins could flip Iglesias at the trade deadline, and potentially recoup some of the prospect capital that they lost from acquiring Iggy in the first place.

It’s a win-win for a team that is trying to contend in the highly competitive American League. While Iggy is certainly not an elite shortstop option, he would be an upgrade over Escobar and should keep the Twins afloat for a half season while they wait for Polanco’s return.

Any return for Iglesias will be predicated by how much of Iggy’s contract the Tigers are willing to eat. Iglesias is owed $6.25 million in 2018, which is an overpay for a player expected to post a 1.5 fWAR.

The Tigers will have to decide if they want to eat most/all of Iggy’s contract in order to acquire higher profile prospects, or if they want to shed the contract and acquire less heralded prospects.

This is similar to what they faced with Ian Kinsler. At that time, the Tigers decided to shed all of Kinsler’s contract, which netted them two prospects ranked in LA’s top 30. They will likely try and  push most or all of Iggy’s contract on the Twins, knowing that the return will be less heralded prospects.

The Detroit Tigers have a farm system loaded with high-level pitching talent, but lacking in position player depth. Here are a couple position player prospects in Minnesota’s farm that the Tigers could target for Iglesias.

Jose Miranda – Second Base

The Twins drafted Miranda in the second round in 2016. He hit .283 with a league-leading 11 home runs in Rookie ball last year. A 19-year-old second baseman with power is always worth taking a gamble on. Plus, Minnesota is stacked with middle infield prospects so they may be willing to part with him.

Jacob Pearson – Outfield

The 19-year-old outfielder was acquired by the Twins from the Angels in exchange for international slot money, which the Halos used to sign superstar Shoehei Ohtani. Pearson hit .225 in rookie ball last season but was a third round pick, so there is potential here.

Yunior Severino – Second Base

Signed by the Twins after the Braves were forced to release him, Severino hit .286 with 17 doubles in just 189 at-bats in rookie ball. He’s only 18, but like Miranda he’s an intriguing middle infielder with some pop. Worth the gamble.

T.J. White – Third Base

The 26-year-old White hit .276 with 14 home runs and a 144 wRC+ at Double-A last season. The former 18th round pick has posted strong walk rates in the minors and could be brought in as depth in the upper minors.