Detroit Tigers: Exploring Jose Iglesias Trade Scenarios

With the trade deadline approaching, which contending teams may have interest in Detroit Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias?

As the trade deadline approaches, teams will be calling the Detroit Tigers regarding several players. Matthew Boyd, Michael Fulmer, Shane Greene, Francisco Liriano, and Leonys Martin could all be sent packing by the end of the month. But what about defensive wizard Jose Iglesias?

Detroit inked Iglesias to a one-year deal in January to avoid arbitration. The 28-year old becomes a free agent after the season. With General Manager Al Avila admitting Iglesias does not fit in the team’s long-term plans, it makes sense for the Tigers to deal him.

Finding a new home for the Cuban shortstop has become somewhat of a cottage industry here at Motor City Bengals. Over the last several months, our own Andy Patton analyzed potential trades to the Padres, Twins, and Dodgers.

New Developments

Over the last couple months, a few things changed in regards to teams’ possible interest in Iglesias. For one, he’s in the midst of his best offensive season in a few years. Through 88 games, Iglesias sports a .274/.310/.381 slash line, the best he’s been in all three categories since earning an All-Star nod in 2015.

Iglesias has stolen 12 bases, already establishing a new career-high. He’s also on pace to surpass or at least challenge his previous career-highs in hits, runs, doubles, and RBIs.

The other factor looming in a potential Iglesias trade is the availability of Manny Machado. Baltimore appears extremely likely to deal their superstar shortstop, with suitors lining up to try and acquire the four-time All-Star.

Teams looking to acquire a shortstop may wait until Machado is off the board to ask about Iglesias. There’s only one of him to go around, so several will miss out in the Machado sweepstakes. That leaves Iglesias as one of the best remaining options.

Here are a few teams who could come calling for the Detroit Tigers shortstop as the deadline nears:

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.