Tigers Rumors: 2 contenders could disrupt Detroit's pursuit of preferred trade target

The Tigers couldn't ask for a more ideal trade candidate this year than Eugenio Suárez. Unfortunately, that's true for a number of teams.

Detroit doesn't have a tried and true third baseman, and hasn't for a long time. Jace Jung was demoted for a second time this year and is battling through some swing adjustments in the minors. Colt Keith and Zach McKinstry (with an occasional appearance from Javy Báez) have platooned at third in the meantime. Keith and McKinstry are having decent seasons, but Keith is still learning third and McKinstry can basically play anywhere.

Suárez, a former Tiger, has the second-most homers in the National League behind only Shohei Ohtani. He's not an exceptional defensive player anymore, but his bat — and the fact that he's in a walk year — should make him an enticing option for Detroit.

However, insider Jon Morosi connected two other (possible) contenders to Suárez, including another one of his former teams in the Mariners, as well as the Angels.

Neither Seattle nor LA have the same kind of prospect firepower as Detroit, but the Tigers could be hesitant to overpay with prospects just to get a guy who's hitting free agency at the end of the year.

Jon Morosi connects Mariners, Angels to rumored Tigers trade deadline target Eugenio Suárez

It's still unclear if the Mariners or Angels will be buying aggressively at the trade deadline, or if the Diamondbacks will be selling at all. All three teams are sitting around .500, and the Diamondbacks have a tough division battle behind the Dodgers, Giants, and Padres. The three National League Wild Card spots are currently occupied by the Mets, Brewers, and Cardinals with the Dbacks running in fourth. If they decide to go for it in the second half of the season, they would want to hang onto Suárez. If not, he's their clearest trade candidate.

The Mariners are in a better position at third in AL Wild Card standings, but the Angels are right on their tails and hot lately.

Suárez saw his power dip in his second year in Seattle (that's the T-Mobile effect), which could make the Mariners' front office hesitate, and the Angels rarely make productive moves. The Tigers should be aggressive buyers at the deadline, so if they're actually interested in Suárez, Scott Harris should already be on the phone. Detroit sent Suárez away in an objectively awful trade in 2014, and now is the perfect time to right that wrong.