Should Tigers Trade For A Catcher? (And Who?)
By Will Burchfield
Twitter: Burchie_kid
As the August 1 trade deadline nears, teams around the league are beginning to distinguish themselves as buyers and sellers. The Tigers, desperate to keep their championship window open, are veering once more toward the former. A lot can change over the next two weeks of baseball, of course, but for now it looks like GM Al Avila will pony up for another playoff run.
With that much decided, the question for the Tigers is where they are most sorely in need of improvement. The starting rotation clearly needs help. Ditto the bullpen. So it could be said for just about every contender in the league, though, so Avila is going to have plenty of competition in the race to add another arm or two.
A less-discussed dearth for the Tigers, but a dearth all the same, is their lack of offense from the catcher's position. James McCann is hitting .199. Jarrod Saltalamacchia is hitting .206. And we are past the point of small sample sizes to hold out hope for a turnaround. What McCann and Saltalamacchia have shown through the first half of the season is what they are likely to provide the rest of the way.
And for a team that relies heavily on its offense, that's not good enough. Should Avila look to make an upgrade in this regard, here are a few worthy targets.
Jonathan Lucroy, Brewers
The cream of the crop when it comes to available catchers, Lucroy would represent a massive upgrade over the McCann-Saltalamacchia platoon. He is in the midst of another All-Star campaign for the Brewers, slashing .303/.360/.493 with 12 home runs and 45 RBI over 84 games. What's more, his contract carries a very affordable $5.25 million club option for the 2017 season, ensuring that Lucroy would be more than just a rental.
[MORE: Fox Sports Predicts Tigers Will Trade For Brewers Catcher Jonathan Lucroy]
All of this translates to a hefty price tag, of course, one that would likely start with, say, Jacoby Jones or Joe Jimenez. But you'd be hard pressed to find another available player (at any position) who could help the Tigers as much as Lucroy.
Brian McCann, Yankees
Should the Yankees decide to sell at the deadline (and that remains to be seen), the Tigers should inquire about McCann. He is one of the best power-hitting catchers in the league, having clubbed at least 20 homers each of the past eight seasons. And with 14 dingers through 73 games in 2016, he's well on his way to continuing that streak. McCann is signed through 2018, although his $17-million yearly salary may be a deterrent for a Tigers team with a hefty chunk of money already tied up in aging players. The cost for McCann figures to be less than it is for Lucroy, but the Tigers would likely have to part ways with a top-50 prospect on top of taking on a sizable contract. It also bears mention that McCann has a no-trade clause.
Stephen Vogt, Athletics
While Vogt doesn't have the name power of Lucroy or McCann, he's made the A.L. All-Star team each of the past two seasons. He put up 18 home runs and 71 RBI a year ago and is on a similar pace in 2016, raising his average from .261 to .285 in the process. Essentially, Vogt will give you Saltalamacchia-like power while hitting with far more consistency. He is being paid just $527,500 this season and is controllable through 2019. The A's are buried in the A.L. West and if Oakland GM Billy Beane is willing to part ways with the 31-year-old, Avila should be in aggressive pursuit.
Wellington Castillo, Diamondbacks
Coming off a season in which he hit 19 homeruns in just 104 games, Castillo is enjoying another strong campaign. Through 68 games, he is hitting .264 with 10 homers and 30 RBI. The D'backs, like the A's, are finished this season, and have a sudden surplus at the catcher's position with the unforeseen emergence of Chris Herrmann. Castillo, who is making $3.7 million this year and is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2017 season, could be a relatively inexpensive addition for the Tigers and a boon to the bottom third of their order.
