The Detroit Tigers Have Started Winning Trades

Detroit Tigers Trade No. 4 – Alex Lange and Paul Richan

Castellanos bWAR for Chicago – 1.5

Lange/Richan bWAR for Detroit – NA

Castellanos went off for the Cubs after this trade, batting .321 with 16 home runs in just 51 games with the club. He didn’t walk and his defense was poor, but it didn’t matter because he was mashing. That wasn’t enough to save the flagging Cubs, however, as they went just 27-28 down the stretch and finished 3rd in the NL Central. Castellanos was a fan favorite in his limited time in Chicago, but he moved on to Cincinnati in free agency. The Tigers’ end of this deal is still to be determined, though at least part of it is looking good. Alex Lange was a first-round pick for the Cubs, but Chicago was developing him as a starter and things weren’t going well. Detroit immediately moved him to the bullpen, and the results have been promising. Lange’s fastball is averaging 97 MPH this spring, and he has flashed a plus breaking ball. He was optioned out of camp today, but he looks like he may have late-inning potential. Paul Richan isn’t a highly touted prospect, but he’s an analytically minded guy with four fringe-average pitches who could eventually find his way to the big leagues.

Verdict – Solid chance to be a draw or win for the Tigers.