Detroit Tigers: 2019 Potential Off-Season Blockbuster Trades

Here are some trades that could potentially benefit the Detroit Tigers in their rebuilding process and help set them up for success.

The Detroit Tigers will be looking in the bargain bin for free agents this off-season, but they could look to make a splash on the trade market. At the July trade deadline, Detroit traded away both Nicholas Castellanos and Shane Greene and this off-season more should join them in being traded away.

Matthew Boyd and Jordan Zimmermann to San Francisco for Hunter Bishop, Logan Wyatt, Evan Longoria, and Brandon Belt

Matthew Boyd is the Detroit Tigers’ biggest trade asset this off-season. Trading Boyd is Detroit’s best bet to infuse the farm system with a top-100 batting prospect to pair with Riley Greene.

Boyd had elite K/BB numbers last season but his Achilles’ heel was the long ball. But, that makes San Francisco the perfect park for Boyd to play half of his games in. There were only 161 home runs hit at Oracle park in 2019, the fewest of any park.

Buster Posey has logged almost 8,400 career innings behind the plate for the Giants which is around 500 more than Joe Maurer played before he moved to first base full-time.  By including Brandon Belt in the trade, first base would be open for Posey to shift over to first and make room for their top prospect, Joey Bart.

Hunter Bishop was drafted 10th in the 2019 draft. Bishop has plus power and speed and, if he can limit his strikeouts, will be a five-tool center fielder that moves through the minors quickly.

Logan Wyatt is a first baseman that should move quickly through the minors because of his ability to draw a walk and get on base. His patient approach will see him get on-base at an above-average rate and he has the power to punish pitchers when they are forced to pitch in the zone.

Miguel Cabrera for Wil Myers, Eric Hosmer, and Allen Cordoba.

To trade Miguel Cabrera and his remaining $122 million dollar contract, Detroit would either have to offset his salary by including prospects or by bringing back players with substantial salaries of their own. Eric Hosmer and Wil Myers of the San Diego Padres’ combined salaries would more than offset Cabrera’s salary.

Hosmer would give the Tigers a first baseman that is a few years younger than Cabrera and can be a team leader through the rebuild. Myers is a 28-year-old outfielder that could rebound and become a trade candidate at the deadline. San Diego has too many outfielders looking for regular playing time for Myers to get consistent enough at-bats to return to the above-average hitter he was prior to 2019.

Allen Cordoba spent all of 2017 on the Padres’ roster after being drafted in the Rule-Five Draft. At the time he looked overmatched and in need of more time in the minors. Unfortunately, he suffered a concussion after being involved in a car crash before the 2018 season and then thumb surgery ended his season after just 45 games.

This season he was able to stay healthy enough to play in 105 games. He also showed off his versatility by playing 53 games in the outfield. He could end up being a good utility player and defensive replacement in a couple of years.

Casey Mize Michael Fulmer Alex Faedo and Kody Clemens for Gleyber Torres and Jacoby Ellsbury

With a pitching heavy farm system, the Detroit Tigers could deal from their depth and make a historic trade, not unlike the one that brought Miguel Cabrera to Detroit. Gleyber Torres of the New York Yankees fits Detroit’s needs as an impact bat that would pair nicely with Isaac Paredes on the left side of the infield for years to come.

Any discussion about Torres starts with Casey Mize. Adding in the former Rookie of the Year, Michael Fulmer, former first-rounder Alex Faedo, and Kody Clemens the son of former Yankees’ great Roger Clemens might be enough to get the trade done. If Detroit would be willing to eat the $21 million in the last year of Jacoby Ellsbury‘s contract it would help New York sign a top free agent, like Gerrit Cole, and stay under the luxury tax limit.

New York was often linked to Fulmer during the 2018 off-season but a deal was never done. Fulmer has since had ulnar nerve transposition surgery, a repair of a torn meniscus in his right knee, and Tommy John surgery and has lost much of his trade value. He should make his return to the rotation after the All-Star break in 2020.

Kody Clemens is not only the son of Roger Clemens but quite the prospect in his own right. The younger Clemens is not a power pitcher like his father, but he brings the same intensity as a second baseman with some pop in his bat. With the short right-field porch at Yankees stadium, the left-handed swinging Clemens has the potential for 30 home runs a season throughout his prime.

While none of these things are certain, the Detroit Tigers could seriously benefit from making some moves this offseason. It is unlikely they will be contending anytime soon, so it is best that they set themselves up for success in the future.