Tigers should steer clear of pitcher The Athletic says is guaranteed to be traded

For a team that's expected to be a prominent buyer at the trade deadline, the Tigers haven't been connected to many trade targets. The Twins' Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax have been named as players Detroit is interested in, but the rest is mostly speculation.

Scott Harris usually manages to keep a tight lid on his front office's thinking but ends up being productive anyway — no one really knew they were interested in re-signing Jack Flaherty before a deal was done — but his relative silence still makes fans antsy.

We know that the Tigers will definitely be in on the reliever market, but what about a bat? Maybe a starting pitcher?

The Athletic named the Tigers as potential fits for a few pitchers in the last edition of their trade deadline "big board." Duran and David Bednar were both included, which was generally to be expected. However, they also threw in Nationals starter Michael Soroka, a name that hasn't been floated quite as often. They gave Soroka a "green light" designation to mark that he's highly likely to be traded.

The Tigers could probably use another starter, but if they're going to overpay for one, they probably have better options than Soroka.

Tigers shouldn't take the risk on rumored Nationals trade candidate Michael Soroka

Soroka had a couple of great years with the Braves and was an All-Star, placed sixth in Cy Young voting, and second in Rookie of the Year voting in 2019 for his 2.68 ERA campaign, but he hasn't been nearly that magical since. He missed all of 2021 and 2022 — and most of 2023 — with Achilles tears and other injuries, and then he was traded to the bottom-feeder White Sox ahead of the 2024 season.

There's upside — he has a slider-curveball combo that's been almost unhittable this year and a decent K rate — but his overall 4.85 ERA in 78 innings (15 starts) kind of makes him look like a more injury-prone Jack Flaherty, as Soroka once again spent time on the IL this year.

Soroka could still yield a decent haul for the Nationals, but the Tigers already don't like to give up prospects but are going to have to if they want a guy like Duran or Bednar. It would seem uncharacteristic for Harris to acquiesce to overpay for a roster piece that may not be — if they can figure out what's going on with Sawyer Gipson-Long or Troy Melton can figure it out — strictly necessary, and for a guy with a sketchy recent track record.