Tigers can't let emotions get the best of them with Justin Verlander rumors

The Detroit Tigers have yet to make their trade deadline splash, but they did land Chris Paddack in a deal with the division-rival Minnesota Twins to make up for Reese Olson going down for the season. That's a respectable one-for-one replacement.

On Wednesday, a Tigers legend reportedly hit the trade block, as the San Francisco Giants are open to moving Justin Verlander. Detroit hasn't been connected, and it should stay that way.

Other big-time Tigers rumors have lingered involving Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez and Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar, but those might feature elevated price tags president of baseball operations Scott Harris might not be interested in.

Tigers fans have surrendered to the likelihood of the front office bargain hunting and/or being conservative in their approach. That's fine if that's the reality. What the front office can't do, however, is make any costly missteps. Verlander would be exactly that depending on the circumstances.

The oft-injured veteran is beloved by the city of Detroit, but now is not the time to let emotions cloud judgement. There is no world in which such an acquisition helps the Tigers in their quest to make a deep playoff run.

Tigers Rumors: Justin Verlander available in trade talks before deadline

Injuries have limited the 42-year-old in 2025. He's logged a 4.53 ERA, 4.28 FIP and 1.49 WHIP in 18 starts (89 1/3 innings). Though he's only given up one earned run over his last 10 innings of work, July has featured two of his worst starts of the season (10 ER in 5 2/3 innings).

Verlander is only a rental and should be owed around ~$6 million the rest of the way, but he doesn't add stability to the Tigers. He's averaging fewer than five innings per outing. He's allowing hits and issuing walks at a near-career-worst rate.

There's a lot of nostalgia when it comes to Verlander, but it should not be revisited now, and it should not interrupt the special season the Tigers have put together so far.

In all honestly, the Tigers would probably be better off paying an uncomfortable price for a controllable reliever. They'd be better off finding an innings-eating starter. They'd be better off adding third base help. There are so many other ways to go about a productive deadline.

If Verlander comes cheap and Detroit has the bandwidth to make a number of other moves? Then sure, go for it. If the Tigers make Verlander a luxury acquisition to deepen the rotation (alongside other imports), then that would be acceptable. But targeting him as a marquee (or even reliable) acquisition of sorts would be a massive oversight. Fans might be clamoring for it, but there's no need to cave to outside pressure.