3 untouchable Tigers prospects in offseason trade talks, 2 who aren't

The Tigers’ farm system is starting to bear fruit. In order to build on the club’s playoff push and Tarik Skubal’s unanimous Cy Young win, Detroit may have to ship off some of its crop of prospects in exchange for big league-ready pieces if they aren't going to spend in free agency.

Obviously, Jackson Jobe and Jace Jung, who got a taste of the Majors in 2024, are likely off the table, but other top names could be used as leverage this offseason.

3 untouchable Tigers prospects in offseason trade talks, 2 who aren't

Untouchable prospect: Max Clark, CF

OK, this may seem like an obvious pick, but the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 Draft has held his own over the past two seasons. Selected out of high school, Max Clark ascended from Rookie ball to High-A and demonstrated the ability to adjust. For example, his first taste of Single-A ball – 11 games at the end of the 2023 season – yielded a .154/.353/.180 line. When he returned to Lakeland, he exploded for seven homers and a .286/.386/.421 line.

Attribute this improvement to Clark’s work ethic. He documents his time in the cage on social media, which helps him both stay consistent with his training and gain a wider fanbase, which could help as the Tigers build a brand identity around their young core. If Clark can translate that work to power, he could be a real five-tool player.

Untouchable prospect: Hao-Yu Lee, 2B

Hao-Yu Lee has already been swapped for an established Major Leaguer, coming to Detroit in the Michael Lorenzen deal. Since then, Lee has lived up to that promise. He turned in 141 wRC+ at Double-A in 2024, and he has the skills to become a 20-20 guy at the MLB level.

The biggest knock, though, on Lee is his health. He has yet to play 100 games in a single season. The Tigers should keep him around in hopes that he improves his conditioning and physicality with more time in the minors.

Untouchable prospect: Thayron Liranzo, C/1B

The Tigers built the Jack Flaherty deal around Trey Sweeney and Thayron Liranzo, who immediately addressed a lack of catching depth in the farm system. Since then, Liranzo has put up out-of-this-world numbers at High-A and in the Arizona Fall League. His time in Scottsdale was particularly promising, as he won the Fall Stars Game MVP. Also, half of his hits during that showcase went for extra bases.

Liranzo has been getting his reps in at backstop, and the recent reports are good. Even if he doesn’t profile as a catcher long-term, he has experience at first base, which is another thin position in the Tigers’ farm system.

Dispensable (but good quality) prospects: Troy Melton, RHP

A fourth-round pick in 2022, Troy Melton will be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft next winter if he doesn’t make the 40-man roster this year. Some could argue that he already belongs in that group. After all, he posted a 2.74 ERA in his first full year of pro ball. The adjustment to Double-A was bumpy, though. 

Some of Melton’s struggles may be attributed to the hitter-friendly nature of most of the parks in the Eastern League. Erie, in particular, can absolutely demoralize a pitcher. Melton didn’t help himself, though, as his ground-ball rate dropped from 47% in Single-A to 38% in High-A and Double-A. Melton could easily right the ship and become a solid mid-rotation arm, but the Tigers could easily opt to use him as a high-value trade chip.

Dispensable (but good quality) prospects: Roberto Campos, OF

The Tigers’ decision to leave Roberto Campos unprotected in this year’s Rule 5 Draft did not come back to bite Detroit, but it could have shed light on his future with the franchise. It’s not that he has underperformed in his four years of pro ball. In fact, his .272 batting average was best among Tigers prospects in High-A this season.

However, Campos has a long road to the Majors, and outfield is one of the easier positions to fill out via the draft. The Tigers might prefer to let another team work with Campos on filling out and adding power if they can get big-league help in return.