5 Detroit Tigers Among MLBTR Top Trade Candidates

Now is a great time to speculate about the Detroit Tigers trade deadline candidates.

At the risk of jumping the gun on talk of buying or selling, it’s worth considering where the Detroit Tigers are at as a team. They started off the season about as poorly as possible, struggling to an 8-19 start that was hampered by horrendous hitting. After some roster shuffling and miracle work by pitching coach Chris Fetter and manager AJ Hinch, the Tigers rebounded in May to post a winning record for the month.

The Tigers are in an interesting spot this deadline. On one hand, they have some veteran players who will garner plenty of trade interest from contenders. However, these veterans may be needed going into next season as the team looks to open their competition window around their young core.

There is some concern about the trade deadline when it comes to trading the veterans on the Tigers pitching staff.  Matt Manning has struggled in Triple-A Toledo and left-hander Joey Wentz is coming back post Tommy John but it is uncertain when he will be ready to come up and pitch in Detroit at any point soon.  Beyond that, the depth gets thin. The front office will have some hard decisions to make.

Yesterday, MLB Trade Rumors posted their first of what will be many trade deadline rumor articles highlighting ranking five Tigers in their top 50 trade candidates.  As trade speculation ramps up, one thing is for certain: the Detroit Tigers have several intriguing trade options.

Detroit Tigers trade deadline candidates:

4. Matthew Boyd

Matthew Boyd checks in at #4 in the MLBTR trade rankings. Boyd has cooled off a bit following his terrific start, but he can certainly help provide serviceable innings for one of the many teams dealing with injuries in their starting rotation.

Boyd has had success generating whiffs with his offspeed pitches and his changeup has been particularly effective at neutralizing right-handed batters. That being said, his evergreen home run problem has yet again begun to rear its ugly head this year.

MLBTR is extremely optimistic that Boyd will be dealt due to his impending free agency following the 2022 season. I am less sure, as the Tigers may still value Boyd leading their group of young arms into 2022 and it is hard to imagine them receiving an overwhelming offer.

18. Jose Ureña

The trade possibilities regarding Jose Ureña are dependent on his health after he was placed on the 15-Day Injured List with a forearm strain.

Despite being a surprisingly solid option for the Tigers this season prior to his injury, Ureña has outperformed his underlying metrics. His roughly 1.5 strikeout to walk ratio and concerning batted ball profile suggest that potential trade partners could proceed with caution.

Ureña does throw hard and has pitched deep into games this year, so it’s possible that a contender may consider him a cheap alternative to some of the pricier options on the board. The Tigers should jump at just about any meaningful offer and consider themselves lucky.

33. Spencer Turnbull

Spencer Turnbull is a far superior asset to Boyd but is less likely to be dealt. He will undoubtedly be the subject of plenty of disagreements among Tigers fans leading up to the trade deadline.

Despite missing his first few starts with COVID-19, Turnbull is in the midst of a career year. He has clearly benefited from the tutelage of new pitching coach Chris Fetter, who has helped Turnbull harness the natural cutting action on his fastball as a weapon to pair with his sinker and slider.

It seems like a longshot that the Tigers will deal Turnbull right when he is seemingly starting to put it all together, but teams will certainly be calling.

Detroit Tigers trade deadline candidates

13. Michael Fulmer

Michael Fulmer has been a revelation for the Detroit Tigers bullpen. After nearly failing to make the team out of spring training and bouncing in and out of the starting rotation, Fulmer has found his place as the team’s new bullpen ace.

Since moving to the bullpen, Fulmer has ramped up his velocity to the upper 90s, which has resulted in an 11.4 K/9. He has legitimate closer stuff and the Tigers might be smart to let him prove he can be a dominant reliever over a full season before selling him for pennies on the dollar.

As is the case with Turnbull, the Tigers have the leverage with Fulmer. He is a free agent following the 2022 season, but they don’t need to trade him now unless they can get a good bat back.

Honorable Mention: Jose Cisnero

Jose Cisnero doesn’t have the name recognition of many top relievers in the league, but he has been quietly solid since the Tigers scooped him up. His slider has taken a step back this year, as has his repertoire in general, but it was one of the best pitches in baseball last year, registering a crazy 49% whiff rate.

Cisnero could be a great under-the-radar acquisition at the deadline. His cost won’t be prohibitive and he has the stuff to get hitters out when it matters most.