Detroit Tigers: What is the right asking price for Matthew Boyd?

Plenty of teams seem to have shown interest in making a trade with the Detroit Tigers for starter Matthew Boyd, but how to get the best return could be tough to figure out.

On the heels of an extremely impressive 13 strikeout performance on Thursday against the White Sox in Chicago, Detroit Tigers starter Matthew Boyd continues to be the most talked-about trade commodity in the organization. With teams such as the Brewers, Yankees, Phillies, and more rumored to have interest in the lefty, figuring out just how much to ask for in return could be a tricky task for GM Al Avila.

The New York Yankees have been mentioned in quite a few rumors about having an interest in making a deal with the Detroit Tigers for Boyd. One report last week from R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports claimed that allegedly asked for All-Star middle infielder Gleyber Torres from New York in return for Boyd, which seems like an astronomically high ask.

A more reasonable ask from the Yankees could be recently demoted outfielder Clint Frazier, but even that might be too much for New York. Realistically, asking for New York’s top prospect, outfielder Estevan Florial, plus a couple of mid-level prospects could be a solid deal for both sides.

Another club that has been rumored quite a bit as to having an interest in Boyd is the Philadelphia Phillies. An ideal scenario with the Phillies would most likely include the organization’s top prospect, 3B Alec Bohm, who would pretty much certainly have to be included if Philly decides to go pursue a deal for both Boyd and All-Star closer Shane Greene.

With Boyd’s impressive performances this year and the fact that he is under team control for a few more seasons makes it seem as though asking for a top prospect in return should be fair. However, the Houston Astros may think differently.

A few reports last week rumored that the Astros are heavily interested in acquiring Boyd from the Detroit Tigers before the deadline, but according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, are unwilling to part ways with star prospect outfielder Kyle Tucker.

As Avila missed out on Tucker with the Justin Verlander trade in 2017, then failing to secure the 22-year-old in yet another deal may not be a good sign for the recently extended GM. If Houston is truly interested in adding Boyd to its rotation in order to make a run for a second World Series title in three years, then Avila may have to play hardball and push for Tucker in return.

A top prospect from any team interested in Matthew Boyd should not be considered too high of an ask from the Detroit Tigers. The lefty could be an incredible addition to the rotation for either New York, Philly, Houston, or any other team looking to make a move to truly establish itself as a contender not only this year but in the next couple of seasons as well.