Detroit Tigers: Three biggest trade pieces that could get dealt soon

Everyone knew that 2019 was meant to be a rebuilding year for the Detroit Tigers, and so far things have been going mostly as expected with the Tigers currently sitting in fourth place in the AL Central.

Currently, in the midst of a nine-game losing streak, the Detroit Tigers rebuild seems to be hitting a bit of a rough patch. With the July 31st MLB Trade Deadline now being a hard deadline, with no moves allowed after that date anymore, teams like the Tigers are expected to start making deals earlier in the season than usual. Let’s take a look at three Detroit Tigers who have bumped up their trade values with their performances so far this year.

Detroit Tigers- Shane Greene

Tigers closer Shane Greene has been performing so well this year that he might just be the most valuable trade asset that Detroit currently has. Greene has a 1.29 ERA and 15 saves so far this season for the Tigers and just suffered his first blown save of the year on Thursday.

You can’t get too down on Greene for just one blown save, and it should not overshadow the fact that the righty was named AL Reliever of the Month in April after racking up 12 saves for Detroit in the first month of the season.

Greene has already been linked in trade talks with the Atlanta Braves, a potential contender desperate for a solid closer. Atlanta does have one of the best farm systems in baseball and so do the Tampa Bay Rays, another contender who could be in the market for a closer down the road.

Detroit Tigers- Matthew Boyd

With Michael Fulmer out for the season, lefty Matthew Boyd has been the ace of the Tigers’ rotation. Boyd is 4-4 through eleven starts so far in 2019 and holds a solid 3.11 ERA, making him a prime candidate to be dealt elsewhere before the deadline.

Boyd may be the ace on Detroit’s staff, but in trade, GM Al Avila would likely market the 28-year-old to potential contending teams who are looking for one final solid arm to complete their rotations. Possible suitors in this respect could be a squad such as the Philadelphia Phillies or even division rivals Cleveland.

Detroit Tigers- Nicholas Castellanos

Trade rumors have been surrounding Tigers’ outfielder Nicholas Castellanos for years now, yet the 27-year-old is still in Detroit. In the past, Castellanos’ situation could have seemed similar to that of JD Martinez, a tremendous talent in need of a new home to blossom into a superstar.

Now, nobody really seems sure what the situation is with Castellanos. He’s not having the best year so far at the plate hitting .264 with 13 RBI and just four homers. Are his performances in previous seasons still enough to keep his trade value high?

Castellanos could still be a pretty valuable trade piece for Detroit. The Tigers still want to collect as many prospects as they can, and Castellanos could serve as another everyday bat to add to the lineup of another team. Maybe a new home is all Castellanos needs to reach his star potential. Either way, this year should hopefully be the year those trade rumors turn into something more serious.

With the Tigers still in full rebuild mode, trading away any of these players in order to acquire prospects can really only help the rebuild. Detroit is now searching for potential star hitting prospects now with things on the mound set up for the future, so the returns GM Al Avila could get for any of these guys will likely be focused on building things up at the plate.