Detroit Tigers: 3 trade ideas for Jonathan Schoop

The Detroit Tigers may move Jonathan Schoop at the July 30th trade deadline. Here are four teams that could fit what Detroit is looking for.

Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch has had many various lineups this season, working with what he has been given. One item that comes to mind is putting Jonathan Schoop at first base.

With Rentalo Nunez struggling defensively when he was called up and trying to preserve Miguel Cabrera as much as possible, Hinch was able to give Schoop another dimension to his game that has helped the Tigers in more ways than one. Granted, the numbers indicated in 324 innings at 1st base a DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) of -5 this season, considering he never played the position until this season, the whole experiment could have been worse. Worth nothing Nunez is still in Toledo so keep that variable in mind.

That dimension of versatility is one that will provide useful at the trade deadline for the Al Avila and the Detroit Tigers at the deadline. In his last month, Schoop is a completely different hitter after getting off to a rocky start.

Jonathan Schoop’s March/April numbers:

• 2 HR 6 RBI .198/.230/.284 (16-for-81)  OPS + of 47
• May numbers: 3 HR 12 RBI .275/.342/.404 OPS + of 110

Jonathan Schoop’s June Numbers:

• 8 HR 16 RBI .362/.423/.797 OPS + of 224

His walk rate of 7% is the highest of his career and his 21.1% strikeout rate is just below the league average of 22.4%, according to Baseball Savant.

You can make a case that Robbie Grossman is a trade piece, considering his friendly contract but if you look at the Tigers depth chart in the outfield, there is a lot of question marks not named Riley Greene, who has been red hot down in Erie. Derek Hill is down in Lakeland starting his rehab assignment and do Tigers fans really want to have another summer with Victor Reyes as a regular? Perhaps a small majority do. The only sure thing right now among the outfield is Akil Baddoo appears to be a contributing everyday regular.

With these trade ideas pieces I have done in the past, I try to keep it in some sort of element of realistic possibilities.  One or two of the players I will mention may seem far-fetched (see the Tyler O’Neil idea from the fall) and some are lottery tickets but it really depends on what teams are willing to trade.

Trading players like Jeimer Candelario and Spencer Turnbull, who are under club control for at least two more seasons seem to be unthinkable unless Detroit could get young controllable players who are ready to play now. Even if Turnbull was healthy, why when the Tigers still have to consider innings control for Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize? But that is a different soapbox for a different day.

As our friends over at Detroit Jock City suggested that Matthew Boyd’s trade value has plummeted because of his recent injury, I disagree with that because across the league, contenders need pitching and if Boyd can come back and throw near the level he was before, he could fetch a player or two.

Let’s start with a division rival in the Chicago White Sox as a trade partner.