The Detroit Tigers' most coveted prospects in trade

3. Wilmer Flores

Flores could be one of the better undrafted free-agent pickups in Detroit Tigers' history. Brother of infielder Wilmer (Giants), the Tigers picked up his brother as part of the shortened five-round draft that happened as part of the pandemic in 2020.

Flores took off immediately and spent the entire 2022 year as a 21-year-old--a year in which he pitched mostly in Double-A. His resultsat Erie: 19 starts, 83.2 innings, 95 strikeouts, and a 3.01 ERA. His tall and sturdy frame is advanced for his age and he has a legitimate chance to start the season in Toledo as a 22-year-old.

There are still some inconsistencies within the arsenal that put Flores a tier below Jobe and Keith in terms of their prospect status and their value. Despite Flores' excellent 2.3 walks per nine in Erie, his shortcomings, particularly with his secondaries, bring some relief risk to the profile. Nevertheless, his fastball, which has hit 98 on occasion as a starter, makes him a prime candidate for a leverage role even if his ultimate destination is a relief role at the highest levels.

Flores can headline a deal but would be more of a match for someone that was maybe a role 50 player with a couple of years of control remaining, opposed to a young player with ample upside. Flores could also be a candidate for a prospect-for-prospect-type trade, which The Athletic's Jim Bowden stated was a possibility for the Tigers.