The Detroit Tigers will kick off the 2018 campaign March 29th against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and with the youth movement underway in Motown, it is pretty safe to say who will be next to leave Detroit?
The three players that come to mind for me are Jose Iglesias, Nicholas Castellanos, and James McCann. Here are some reasons why I feel these players will be dealt.
Jose Iglesias
http://gty.im/853311550
At 28 years of age, and being an unrestricted free agent next offseason, I can see a contending team who is looking for middle infield help to pull the trigger on a deal for Iglesias. What can the fans expect to get in return for Iglesias? That all depends on how his batting average is looking. The last two seasons he has hit .255. If he can return anywhere near his 2015 average, which was .300, you would think Detroit could land a nice prospect or two. A good batting average along with his defensive skills could reel in a contending team’s interest.
Nicholas Castellanos
http://gty.im/855705300
Castellanos just signed a 1-year deal in January to avoid arbitration. The 26-year-old should be one of, if not the best bat the Tigers will have in their lineup this season. It only makes sense that they will be looking to unload him for something if they are struggling to win ball games. His defensive woes are the biggest concern when it comes to trade value. If he tightens his game up defensively and finds a nice home in the outfield this season, I’d expect teams from both the A.L. and N.L. to be interested in Castellanos and his services. If he is hitting like he should and playing good defense, Al Avila could land a nice haul, if he works the phones and finds that contender looking to add another piece to a lineup.
James McCann
http://gty.im/844441774
The 27-year-old McCann is currently playing on a 1-year deal, and would surely garner a lot of attention if placed on the trading block. A really good defensive player is something teams are always looking for when it comes to the catcher’s position. His biggest enemy has been his bat. He has shown some pop, and he can hit the long ball, if he can be more consistent this season at the plate and have a higher batting average, look for some nice quality offers heading the Tigers way.
Those are the three names that make sense to me, but Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, and Jordan Zimmermann are probably the three players fans would like to see dealt the most. Cabrera, Martinez, and Zimmermann will have to have huge comeback seasons for teams to even think about looking their way.
Cabrera will be making $30 million this coming season, and his current contract doesn’t end until 2023. The final two years of that contract bump up to $32 million per year. The realist in me says Detroit is stuck with him, so all I can do is hope he turns it around, and turns into an effective DH, once Victor Martinez leaves.
Martinez is 39 years old, and can only be a DH. That limits him to an A.L. team, and I just don’t see that happening. Tigers’ fans will just have to watch him play until the end of the season.
Zimmermann is on the books until 2020. He is scheduled to make $24 million this season with Detroit, and his final two seasons will be making $25 million. So, unless he turns it around drastically, and there is a situation like Houston, a team with tons of cap space and a world title knocking on their door, Detroit is probably stuck with him too.
Hopefully, the Tigers surprise people and come out playing competitive ball and don’t have to move some of their younger talents, but if it all goes according to plan, they will be active around the deadline once again.
