Detroit Tigers: 4 Players who could still be traded

Mike Fiers

Mike Fiers has been one of Detroit’s best starting pitchers this season, and it was a bit of a surprise to see him still with the Tigers after the deadline. However, his $6 million dollar salary and surprisingly excellent performance this season have made him a prime August trade candidate. Presently, Fiers is still owed about $1.96 of the $6 million on his contract for this season.

Fiers currently boasts a 3.48 ERA in 21 starts. He has a 6.58 K/9 and a career-low 1.97 BB/9. Any playoff bound team that needs a boost to the back of their rotation (and that’s pretty much all of them) could really use a guy like Fiers.

If the Tigers place him on waivers, it’s possible a team will try to claim him. If they do, the Tigers could let Fiers go and rid themselves of the $2 million left on his deal. More than likely, teams will let him pass which will allow the Tigers a chance to shop him around again.

Oakland was the team showing the most interest in Fiers before the non-waiver deadline, and they quite likely going to have continued interest in him now that Daniel Gossett is having Tommy John surgery. Allegedly, the Tigers and A’s had a trade in the works but the two sides balked when a disagreement about how much money each team should pay came up.

The waiver system would alleviate that, and could allow these two teams to resume talks.

Other interested teams

However, there are a few other teams that will likely have an interest in Fiers now that the trade market is smaller. The Milwaukee Brewers were unable to acquire a starting pitcher before the trade deadline. They are counting on right-hander Jimmy Nelson to return, but could certainly reunite with Fiers to help shore up their depleted rotation.

The Pittsburgh Pirates made a surprising move by flipping Austin Meadows and Tyler Glasnow in exchange for Chris Archer. They could use some stability on the back-end however, and Fiers could be a nice fit. Finally, the Washington Nationals have not made any indication whether they plan to contend or sell, but if they want to try to make a push they could also use some back of the rotation stability.

With each team, here are a handful of prospects that the Tigers could theoretically target in an August trade for Fiers:

Oakland: SS Kevin Merrell, 2B Marcos Brito, OF Greg Deichmann

Milwaukee: SS Jean Carmona, 1B Chad McClanahan, C Peyton Henry

Pittsburgh: OF Lolo Sanchez, OF Calvin Mitchell, 1B Mason Martin

Washington: LHP Nick Raquet, INF Jose Sanchez, LHP Tim Cate

Francisco Liriano

The Tigers signed Liriano to a one-year, $4 million dollar contract this offseason. They had every intention of dealing him for prospects. However, injuries and ineffectiveness have hampered Liriano’s trade value.

The veteran left-hander is currently sporting a 4.41 ERA and a 7.35 K/9. His 5.18 FIP and 5.15 BB/9 show just how bad Liriano has actually been. There is one redeeming quality Liriano still possesses however, and it could be enough to move him in an August trade to a contender.

On the season, Liriano has held opposing lefties to a comical .113/.214/.210 slash line. He holds a much stronger 8.24 K/9 and a more palatable 3.66 BB/9. Teams in need of a strong left-handed reliever will certainly inquire about Liriano’s services. If they do, the Tigers would be smart to pass him through waivers, where his $1.309 million remaining will likely stay untouched, and try to trade him.

Should this situation come to fruition, here are a few teams that could match up on a trade:

Astros

Houston made a huge bullpen move, acquiring star closer Roberto Osuna and giving up on Ken Giles. However, the Astros only have one true left-hander in the bullpen, veteran Tony Sipp. while Sipp has had a great year, the team could definitely use another lefty. They already gave up Teoscar Hernandez for Liriano last season, perhaps they have another useful prospect to give him another chance?

A few names to consider: RHP Brandon Bailey, 3B Joe Perez, 1B Taylor Jones

Braves

Atlanta’s primary left-handed bullpen option, A.J. Minter, has been thrust into their closing role thanks to an injury from Arodys Vizcaino. Jesse Biddle is left-handed, but he has reverse platoon splits, meaning his numbers are better against right-handers. That leaves the Braves dearth of bullpen arms capable of getting left-handers out, which is where Liriano could come in.

A few names to consider: SS Braulio Vasquez, SS Riley Delgado and 2B Derian Cruz.

Lastly, I’ll toss the Brewers into the mix as well, as they are desperate for pitching and Liriano, although not great, could help shore up the back-end of their rotation in a pinch. Carmona, Henry and McClanahan could all be options in a Fiers trade as well, but I’ll also throw out outfielders Je’von Ward, Ernesto Martinez and Joantgel Segovia as potential trade options.

Jose Iglesias

Originally, I pegged Milwaukee as a team that could use Jose Iglesias. They went ahead and traded for Jonathan Schoop, who they intend, surprisingly, to use at shortstop. That gives them much less of a need up the middle, and makes it unlikely that they’ll make a push for Iggy.

As fans may remember, it was made very clear by GM Al Avila that Iglesias does not factor into the team’s future. With his contract up at the end of the year, it makes a ton of sense to try to deal him before the August 31 deadline.

Iglesias is actually having his finest offensive season since 2015, slashing .268/.309/.392 with four home runs and a career-high 13 stolen bases. His 3.9% walk rate is bad, but his 9.9% strikeout rate is elite, and his 2.1 fWAR is nearly a career-high in just 103 games.

Still, there are just not very many playoff bound teams who need a middle infielder. Iglesias is owed $2.5 million for the rest of the season, so it’s virtually guaranteed that no team will claim him if/when the Tigers put him on revocable waivers. Once he passes, teams may approach Detroit about acquiring Iglesias to be a utility infielder, a role he would excel at.

Boston may be interested in a reunion with Iglesias after an injury knocked Ian Kinsler out of a recent game. It’s not clear if he will need a DL-stint, but if he does Iglesias could be a fit.

A few names to consider: LHP Jhonathan Diaz, 1B Josh Ockimey, and SS Antoni Flores.

Alex Wilson

Wilson is technically under team control through 2019, but at 31 years old the Tigers would be wise to try to deal him sooner rather than later. He is still owed roughly $701,000 for the rest of this season. While that’s not a ton, it’s likely more than his 4.10 ERA and 5.83 K/9 are worth. As such, teams will likely let him pass through waivers.

If the Tigers are then willing to eat the rest of his contract, they could essentially ‘buy’ a prospect by dealing Wilson and paying his way for the rest of 2018.

Wilson’s poor performance this season will curb his trade value, but his prior success could have a few bullpen needy teams biting. If the Tigers can get even a low-level dart throw type prospect, it’s worth it. Eating Wilson’s contract is a small price to pay to deepen their farm system, and moving Wilson will give the team a chance to try out some of their younger bullpen options (hello Zac Houston).

Detroit Tigers fans may be disappointed that the team only made one trade before the July 31 deadline. However, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team try to strike one or two more deals before the start of September.