With Major League Baseball’s July 31st trade deadline approaching, the Tigers have actually been mentioned rather often in the rumor mill. Unfortunately, they will not be buying at the deadline this year, or likely any other time in the near future. But, they do have some pieces that could be moved for a nice haul of prospects.
With the players that are on the current roster, there are plenty of moves that could be made. Who is the most likely to be trade? The least likely? We’ll bunch them all up below.
Group One: Least likely to be traded
Players: Victor Alcantara, Buck Farmer, Daniel Norris, Nick Ramirez, Blaine Hardy, Zac Reininger, Daniel Stumpf, Spencer Turnbull, John Hicks, Bobby Wilson, Jeimer Candelario, Harold Castro, Brandon Dixon, Victor Reyes, Christin Stewart
This was actually the easiest part of this list to compile. The names that are on this list either project as big parts for the team in the future, or else simply aren’t that good. Plain and simple.
Group Two: Unlikely to be traded, but not a zero chance
Players: Miguel Cabrera, Gordon Beckham, Trevor Rosenthal, Jordy Mercer, Joe Jimenez, Nico Goodrum, Jordan Zimmermann
Again, it’s not likely that any of these players are moved prior to the deadline. But, each of them does indeed bring something to the table that any team could find useful. There won’t be a ton of teams knocking on the door to take on the ginormous contracts of Zimmermann and Cabrera, either, but Detroit would be foolish to look away if an acceptable deal was presented to them for either of the two.
Group Three: Good chance to be traded
Only one player in this criteria, and that is Nicholas Castellanos. He’s on a one year contract at a fairly team-friendly $9.95 million, which will be a much higher per-year number in his next contract. He is currently batting .280 with nine home runs and 34 RBIs, while also leading all of baseball with 31 doubles. Those number sound like the makings of a player who should be able to fetch a solid return in a trade, right? Well, the defense he plays is another thing. If Detroit is able to find a dance partner in a Castellanos swap, the return is likely to be underwhelming because of the fact that he is still considered as an average-at-best right fielder.
Group Four: As good as gone
You guessed it. The only two remaining for this category are Matthew Boyd and Shane Greene. Boyd is under contract for each of the next three seasons, and is in the midst of a breakout season. While his win/loss record might not show it, Boyd has quietly been very good all year long. He has had a bit of an issue with the home run ball of late, but currently sits in sixth place in all of baseball with his 152 strikeouts.
Greene, on the other hand, is having a breakout year in his own right. His 1.06 ERA and .853 WHIP would both dramatically become career bests, and he has converted on 91.7% (22 out of 24) of his save opportunities on the year. Unfortunately, it’s all but certain that both he and Boyd will be finishing the season with new teams.
Group Five: Expectations were there
Players: Josh Harrison, Tyson Ross, Matt Moore.
These guys were brought to the team this year with the hopes of over-performing their contracts and being flipped for a prospect at the deadline. Unfortunately, injuries happened.
