Detroit Tigers: Exploring Jose Iglesias Trade Scenarios

Why Iglesias May Be a Fit

Somewhat surprisingly, the Brewers sit atop the National League Central. Their first place standing comes in spite of getting very little out of the shortstop position.

Orlando Arcia entered the year as the undisputed starter at short for Milwaukee. Arcia claimed the job in late 2016, and turned in a very good first full campaign in 2017. He hit .277 in 152 games, and played well defensively.

2018 has been disastrous for Arcia. In 66 games, his average stands at .197. Milwaukee sent him down to Triple-A a few different times, trying to get him back on track.

In his absence, the Brewers have tried five others at the position. Behind Arcia, the leader in games played at shortstop is Eric Sogard, who was recently designated for assignment. Next up is Tyler Saladino, who was activated from the disabled list last week.

Detroit Tigers fans may remember Saladino from his three-year stint with the White Sox. His best season on the South Side was 2016, in which he slashed .282/.315/.409 with a 98 OPS+. In 20 games with Milwaukee this season, Saladino carries a .292 average.

Saladino may continue his strong season at the plate, but it’s much more likely he regresses toward his .235 career average. Acquiring Iglesias and sending Saladino to the bench would make a lot of sense for Milwaukee. Saladino’s ability to play multiple positions would make him a very valuable bench asset, especially in the National League, where bench players are used more frequently.

Along with the Dodgers, the Brewers remain one of the teams most heavily linked to a Manny Machado deal. If Machado goes elsewhere, Iglesias would slot in nicely for the NL Central leaders.

A Potential Return

With free agency looming for Iglesias, any organization’s premier prospects are likely off the table. In the case of the Brewers, the Detroit Tigers could try to nab one of the many outfielders with promise in their system.

Trent Grisham

The 15th overall pick three years ago, Grisham has fallen off in the eyes of many due to a lack of average and power. What Grisham does bring is a high on-base percentage. Last year with High-A Carolina, he batted .223, but managed a .360 on-base percentage thanks to a league-leading 98 walks.

He also ranked in the top-five in runs scored and steals, although a hamstring injury has slowed him down a bit this season. In 2018, Grisham is hitting a career-low .212 with a .340 on-base percentage at Double-A Biloxi. At 21 years old (three years younger than the average player at Double-A), there’s plenty of time for Grisham to improve.

Tristen Lutz

Milwaukee selected Lutz on the first day of the draft a little more than a year ago. He played 40 games for a pair of rookie-level affiliates in 2017, posting a .311/.398/.559 slash line.

Lutz has spent all of 2018 with Class A Wisconsin. His average has dipped to .240, but he leads the Timber Rattlers in runs, doubles, and RBIs. The 19-year old also earns high marks for a strong, accurate arm in the outfield, and good base running instincts.

Jake Gatewood

Originally drafted as a shortstop, Gatewood spends most of his time at third base these days, with occasional appearances in the outfield. As he’s risen through the system, he’s continued to develop power. After hitting 15 homers a year ago, he’s already blasted 14 this season, tied for the Southern League lead.

Strikeouts continue to be the main problem for Gatewood. In his five pro seasons, he’s yet to post a strikeout rate below 26 percent. An improved approach at the plate and continued improvement to his power stroke will make the strikeouts less of an issue.

Why Iglesias May Be a Fit

The Diamondbacks currently sit atop the tight NL West race. One of the weakest points of a very potent Arizona lineup is shortstop. After the J.D. Martinez deal last summer, could the two be a deadline match again in 2018?

Only two players have manned shortstop this season in the desert, Nick Ahmed and Ketel Marte. Ahmed leads the duo, having played in 85 games. Like Iglesias, Ahmed boasts a strong glove at short. Unlike Iglesias, he’s had a hard time staying on the field over the course of his career.

The former second rounder first reached the big leagues back in 2014. In his five big league seasons, he’s managed to appear in more than 90 games just once, playing 134 back in 2015.

Iglesias’ bat has been more consistent, too. Ahmed hits more home runs, but Iglesias’ career .271 average dwarfs Ahmed’s .226 career mark.

Marte spells Ahmed on occasion, but spends most of his time at second base. Arizona would be well-served to keep Marte at second, as he’s a much better defender there than at short.

Like Milwaukee, Arizona has also reportedly shown interest in Manny Machado. Several other teams boast much higher regarded systems than the Diamondbacks, making a Machado deal less likely.

A Potential Return

Despite the low rank of their system, the Detroit Tigers could scope out a gem or two from Arizona. Similar to Milwaukee, the Diamondbacks possess more position player talent than pitching talent, making it a good match for the Tigers, based on the current state of their farm system.

Drew Ellis

A second round pick in 2017, Ellis hit just .227 in 48 games with short-season Hillsboro in his pro debut last summer. The third baseman collected eight home runs and posted an 11.5 percent walk rate.

This season, Ellis jumped over Class A, straight to High-A Visalia. He’s rewarded the Diamondbacks aggressiveness with a good season thus far. Ellis leads the California league with 28 doubles, and ranks in the top-five in RBIs and extra-base hits.

Gabriel Maciel

A 19-year old switch-hitter, Maciel made his full-season affiliate debut this spring. In 56 games with Class A Kane County, he’s slashing .259/.337/.311. As evidenced by his slugging percentage, Maciel does not possess much power.

Primarily a center fielder, Maciel’s speed gives him great range in the outfield and the ability to steal bases. His walk rate is just shy of 10 percent, and combined with a solid hit tool could make him a very solid table-setter down the road.

Kevin Cron

The younger brother of C.J. Cron, Kevin has put up impressive power numbers in the minor leagues. In his three years of full-season ball, he’s blasted at least 25 homers in each, and collected no fewer than 88 RBIs. Last season, he hit .283 with 25 bombs and 91 RBIs and took home the Southern League MVP.

Primarily a first baseman, this season, Cron has started playing third base more than ever. His bat has been as strong as ever, too. Despite missing about a month at the start of the year, he’s slashing .319/.371/.606 and ranks in the top-five in the Pacific Coast League in RBIs.

Why Iglesias May Be a Fit

The Cardinals are a less obvious fit than the Brewers and Diamondbacks. St. Louis sits in third in the NL Central, and have a handful of teams to pass in the Wild Card chase as well. Not to mention their current shortstop duo has been handling things just fine.

Paul DeJong and Yairo Munoz receive the majority of playing time at shortstop, but they aren’t the problem. Second baseman Kolten Wong and his .208 batting average are the problem.

Wong turned in a career-best .285/.376/.412 slash line last year. Entering his age-27 season, Cardinals fans expected big things from the former first rounder. He rates out as one of the top defensive second basemen in the majors this year, but his 77 OPS+ negates much of that value.

If the Cardinals wanted to send Wong to the bench, DeJong could handle second, with Iglesias taking over at short. Iglesias is vastly superior defensively to St. Louis’ current duo, and pushing the struggling Wong to the bench could give their offense a little boost.

DeJong hasn’t played any second base this season, but played 20 games there a year ago. Munoz profiles more as a utility player, and is better served filling in around the infield or outfield as needed. Inserting Iglesias improves a Cardinals defense which ranks in the bottom half of Major League Baseball.

A Potential Return

Consistently rated as one of the best farm systems in baseball, the Cardinals have plenty to offer. St. Louis possesses a solid mix of position players and pitchers, giving the Detroit Tigers brass many options to pursue in a potential deal.

Junior Fernandez

A 21-year old flamethrower, Fernandez has yet to surrender an earned run for High-A Palm Beach since returning from the disabled list about a month ago. The righty pairs his fastball with an above average change up and a breaking ball which lacks consistency.

St. Louis moved him to the bullpen this year following injuries last year and at the start of this year. The move was likely to happen anyway, with his lack of a third consistent pitch at this point in his career. Despite his lack of strikeouts thus far, Fernandez’s blazing fastball would make him a very intriguing late-inning option for the Detroit Tigers down the road.

Jonatan Machado

The Cardinals signed Machado as an international free agent two years ago. In his stateside debut last year, he slashed .323/.381/.435 for the GCL Cardinals. St. Louis continued to be aggressive with the 19-year old outfielder, starting him out at Class A Peoria this spring.

After posting just a .185 mark in 23 games in the Midwest League, the Cardinals sent him back to extended spring training. He joined rookie-level Johnson City when their season began last month and has torn up the Appalachian League. In 13 games, Machado boasts a .407 average. Pairing a solid hit tool with terrific speed would make him a welcome addition to the lower levels of the Tigers system.

Dylan Carlson

Another outfielder, Carlson was selected with the 33rd overall pick by the Cardinals in the 2016 draft. Carlson’s batting average may not turn many heads, but the 19-year old has shown impressive plate discipline in his young pro career.

He posted an 11.5 percent walk rate at Class A Peoria last year. He began 2018 in the Midwest League too, walking as often as he struck out before earning a promotion to High-A Palm Beach. Carlson also possesses a strong arm, which netted him 14 outfield assists last year.

Next: Exploring Michael Fulmer Trade Possibilities

With the Detroit Tigers rebuilding, it is likely to be a very busy month for General Manager Al Avila and his staff. A month from now, the team will look a lot different. Hopefully, the farm system adds several more promising players to its growing talent pool. Make sure to check out our trade deadline coverage all month long to keep up with the latest Detroit Tigers rumors and deals.