Detroit Tigers: 4 Players who could still be traded

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.