ESPN keeps pushing a Tigers trade deadline agenda no fan wants to deal with

Life is good if you're a fan of the Detroit Tigers. Fresh off taking two of three games from the Chicago Cubs over the weekend, the Tigers have firmly declared themselves as the best team in Major League Baseball.

As the Tigers approach the halfway point of the season with the league's best record, the trade deadline is beginning to be a topic of conversation. The Tigers are operating like a well-oiled machine at the moment, and that has left insiders grasping at what their pursuits may be at the deadline.

One of those insiders is ESPN's Jeff Passan, who is pushing the idea that the Tigers need to pursue Toronto Blue Jays' infielder Bo Bichette at the deadline.

"After a homerless April, Bichette whacked seven home runs in May and slugged better than .500. The Tigers don't need much. With their prospect depth, though, they can afford a luxury item," Passan writes for ESPN.

Bo Bichette isn't the luxury item that the Detroit Tigers need

After having career lows across the board during the 2024 season, Bichette has put together a respectable 2025 season so far. Entering play on Monday, Bichette has a slash line of .270/.316/.427/110wRC+ with eight home runs. While we're on the subject of Bichette's stats, Passan was quick to praise his production in May, but June has been a different story. Through 31 plate appearances this month, Bichette is hitting .200 with a 62 WRC+.

In a very broad sense, Bichette would be an upgrade at shortstop for the Tigers, but the conversation can't stop there.

First and foremost, the Blue Jays are in the middle of the American League Wild Card conversation. As long as that is the case, it would seem more likely than not that they would prefer to hold onto Bichette despite him being a free agent this offseason. And, in the event that they would still entertain the idea of moving their starting shortstop, the Blue Jays likely would be in the market for talent that can help them win currently at the Major League level.

A luxury item for the Tigers is using their prospect capital to provide another boost to their pitching staff that has dominated the American League this season. A luxury item isn't Bichette, considering the Tigers would likely have to take from their Major League roster in a potential trade. Not only that, but Bichette is hardly a solution. He's wildly inconsistent and would cost far too much without truly filling a need for Detroit.