Detroit Tigers need to trade Joe Jiménez if an offer presents itself

Detroit Tigers need to pull the trigger on a Joe Jiménez.

One of the most infuriating things about Al Avila's tenure with the Detroit Tigers was the inability to pull the trigger on trades. How many times did rumors circle about Matt Boyd being shipped out for a premier prospect during his coming-out tour in the league? How many teams can the same thing be said for Michael Fulmer when he was Rookie of the Year and getting the attention of big-name suitors?

Heck, from the sounds of it, the Detroit Tigers could have had a shot to land Javier Báez years ago via trade. MLBTradeRumors documented just some of the names the Tigers missed out on adding by not trading Michael Fulmer.

With a new leader in the front office and a new way of running things, the Detroit Tigers will be looking for ways to get the team moving in the right direction. Scott Harris needs to ensure he is able to pull the trigger on trades and move players in the right situations.

For reliever Joe Jiménez, this is exactly the case. The Tigers must be smart and move the right-handed reliever if the opportunity presents itself. Jiménez is not the guy to go out there in the ninth and shut it down, but after a solid season in 2022, there are reasons to consider moving him if the right trade comes up.

David Hill, the Site Expert at Call to the Pen, feels that Jiménez will be one of the sought-after names this offseason. He says in a recent piece about the Tigers bullpen that there are several relievers that could be targets from other teams, but the team has not shown the willingness to move these arms.

This got me thinking about the Avila era and the lack of ability to pull the trigger on a deal. It's not that I am suggesting the Tigers go out and pilfer the entire bullpen, move every piece, and tear it down. But for someone like Jiménez, why not dump him for something that brings greater benefit to the team moving forward?

The 27-year-old righty pitched in 62 games during the 2022 season. He logged 56.2 innings pitched, where he pitched to a 3.49 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. The rejuvenated Jiménez even punched out 77 hitters over his 56.2 innings of work while issuing just 13 walks.

If the Tigers start getting calls about Jiménez, it seems hard not to off-load him. After the lack of performance for years and a breakout year in 2022, trading him and hoping to bring in better, more sustained talent via the trade or the free agent market seems like the better option.

Ultimately it is Harris and his new front office that will make these decisions, but it seems like making moves rather than standing pat on a lot of players is the best option. The roster purge and turnover is expected and has happened to this point, so it's not like a trade to move Jiménez would be the greatest shock, either.