Detroit Tigers Trade of the Day: Jose Iglesias to the Mariners

The Detroit Tigers still have trades to be made this season. We will post one potential trade per day until the August 31 deadline.

The Detroit Tigers have until August 31 to trade their players on expiring contracts. Thus far three players; Jose Iglesias, Francisco Liriano and Jordan Zimmermann, have passed through waivers. That means they are eligible to be dealt to any team.

With six days remaining until the deadline, we will be writing up a potential trade daily. While we have experimented with a Jordan Zimmermann trade and a Francisco Liriano trade, ultimately Detroit’s most likely trade piece is Jose Iglesias. So far, we have worked out trades that send Iggy to the Cardinals and the Rockies.

Now, we will look at sending Iglesias to the Mariners, and getting a former Tiger in return.

Detroit Tigers send Jose Iglesias to the Seattle Mariners for Andrew Romine, David Ellingson

Why the Mariners will do it

Seattle is desperately trying to remain in the hunt, hoping they can break the longest playoff drought in all of the american sports. One area they have been really lacking is depth up the middle. Jean Segura and Dee Gordon have both played well this season, and the team did just get Robinson Cano back from his 80-game suspension for PEDs.

However, Seattle’s utility infielder has been Andrew Romine, and he has not played exceptionally well this year. He is currently sporting a .204/.259/.222 slash line in 108 at-bats.

Adding Iglesias will give the team extra depth up the middle. Iglesias has been a better hitter and fielder than Romine, although he offers less positional flexibility. However, Seattle is set on the corner infield spots, and really just needs an upgrade up the middle.

Romine does not have minor league options, but Seattle could send him back to the Tigers as a way to offset some of the cost of Iggy’s contract – while also giving Detroit someone they can plug-in at shortstop for the rest of the year.

Why the Tigers will do it

Obviously flipping Iglesias for Romine straight up is not a good trade for the Tigers. The move gives the Tigers more financial flexibility, but both players are free agents at the end of the season, so it ultimately won’t make much of a difference long-term.

Getting a prospect, however, does help the Tigers long-term. And since 2018 is a lost season, the Tigers should do anything they can to help themselves in the future. Holding onto Iglesias and watching him walk at the end of the season doesn’t help them, now or in the future.

David Ellingson was a 34th round pick by the Mariners in 2016. He has been a strikeout machine in the minor leagues, with 60 strikeouts in 57.1 innings across three levels. He is currently pitching at High-A, with a 3.21 ERA and a 11.57 K/9.

There’s little scouting information out there on Ellingson, but he posted very strong numbers at Georgetown in college. At six-foot-two and 200 pounds, he’s a big right-hander who has pitched well in three minor league seasons.

The Tigers could plug Romine in at shortstop for the rest of the season, or let him play a utility role while Dixon Machado gets another shot. Ellingson would add to Detroit’s healthy mix of right-handed pitching prospects down on the farm.

Mariners general manager Jerry DiPoto is not afraid to make unconventional trades, and while Romine would have to pass through waivers for this trade to work, it’s a unique way for each team to help each other out, short-term for Seattle and long-term for the Detroit Tigers.