Detroit Tigers: Boyd faces mound duel amidst trade rumors

Plenty of trade rumors are already surrounding Detroit Tigers ace Matthew Boyd, but he must stay focused for a mound duel on Wednesday night.

It’s no secret that Matthew Boyd is the main Detroit Tigers player on the trading block as the MLB trade deadline approaches. Hopefully, the rumors already swirling around where he could be dealt don’t distract him from the task at hand, especially as a tough mound duel looms on Wednesday night against the Texas Rangers.

Boyd’s previous couple of starts have been far from his best. On Friday in Cleveland, the lefty surrendered five runs on seven hits in six innings, his second start in a row in which he gave up five runs. Luckily, these haven’t caused potential trade partners for the Detroit Tigers to shy away from attempting to pursue Boyd.

Taking the mound for Texas opposite Boyd on Wednesday is lefty Mike Minor, who is having a stellar 2019 so far. Minor is 7-4 through 16 starts this season with a 2.52 ERA, besting Boyd’s current 3.61 ERA.

The 31-year-old Minor presents a major challenge for a Tigers team that has been struggling at the plate all season long. In his most recent start last Thursday against the Indians, Minor lasted eight innings and surrendered just one run on only three hits.

Detroit has had trouble getting deep performances from starters all season long, while Minor has lasted eight innings in two of his last three starts. Boyd must temper the Rangers’ hot lineup for long enough to give his own offense the chance to put some runs on the board, something that should be quite a tough task for Detroit’s hitters.

A lot of noise about trades to the Phillies, Brewers, Yankees, or other squads could present quite a distraction for Boyd. The deadline is still over a month away, and shutting down the Rangers on Wednesday can only help the Detroit Tigers show off Boyd’s value.