Detroit Tigers: Exploring Michael Fulmer Trade Scenarios

Tigers Rumors: Rumors the Detroit Tigers could deal star right-hander Michael Fulmer have continued to ramp up. Here are a few realistic trade scenarios.

It’s no secret that Tigers Rumors are going to run rampant this month. Leonys Martin, Mike Fiers, Francisco Liriano and Jose Iglesias all seem likely to be dealt. Less likely, but still possible, are Matthew Boyd, Shane Greene and Blaine Hardy.

However, the big question mark is what the Tigers will do with star right-hander Michael Fulmer. Fulmer is currently 3-7 with a 4.22 ERA. He does have a career-high 7.62 K/9, but also a career-high 2.96 BB/9. He’s had some bad luck, with a 3.97 FIP.

Still, it’s undeniable that Fulmer hasn’t looked like the pitcher Tigers fans know that he can be. That makes trading him a tricky situation. The Tigers likely value Fulmer similarly to how they valued him during the offseason, which was very high. He is under team control through 2022 and cost only $575,200 this season, per spotrac.

The added value that five years of team control adds is huge, and gives the Tigers little incentive to trade him unless they get a truly monstrous return.

The problem is that a contending team likely is not going to offer up the kind of return that Detroit will be demanding – not while Fulmer sports an ERA over 4.00 and a career-high walk rate.

Basically, the Tigers will want the type of return that the Mets will want for Jacob deGrom. But since deGrom is available, any team that is willing to part with huge prospect capital will just go after him.

For those reasons, Fulmer is likely going to remain a Tiger. However, there are a handful of teams who are desperate to improve and might be willing to put together the prospect capital necessary to get the Tigers attention. Here are those teams, along with what it might take to get a deal done: