Five Crazy Trade Ideas For The Tigers
By Will Burchfield
Twitter: Burchie_kid
As the August 1 trade deadline approaches, it's looking more and more like the Tigers will stand pat. Jordan Zimmermann, Daniel Norris and J.D. Martinez are all close to returning – likely in that order – and GM Al Avila is banking on that trio providing a boost down the stretch. It's the smart course of action for a team with slim playoff hopes and a depleted farm system.
Today, though, let's throw caution to the wind. Let's be reckless and bold, and dream up five trades that would profoundly alter the Tiger's identity. Their core is beginning to feel stale, after all, so perhaps a major shakeup is just what this team needs. It's time to play Armchair GM.
1. Justin Verlander to LAD for LHP Julio Urias and OF Yusniel Diaz
The Dodgers are in the market for a frontline starting pitcher, and have the wherewithal to take on Verlander's $27-million yearly salary. In return, the Tigers would get starter Julio Urias, the best left-handed pitching prospect in baseball, and Cuban signee Yusniel Diaz, a potential everyday center-fielder. This move would obviously set the Tigers back in the short-term, but they'd be well served in unloading (at least some of) Verlander's massive contract and it's worth noting that Urias has already cracked the Dodger's starting rotation. Verlander has recovered his Cy Young form in the past year or so and the time may be now to cash in on his value.
2. Joe Jimenez and Steven Moya to MIL for C Jonathon Lucroy
There may not be a better player on the trade market right now than Lucroy, the All-Star catcher for the Brewers, and the Tigers are in dire need of an upgrade at that position. Once Martinez returns in right field, the team's only serious deficiency will be found behind the plate (pitching excluded), where both Jarrod Saltalamacchia and James McCann provide little more than replacement-level production. Inserting Lucroy in the Tigers' everyday lineup would give them a massive boost this year and next – his contract carries a very affordable $5.25 million team option in 2017. Moya would improve the Brewers' outfield – which is nonexistent after Ryan Braun – while Joe Jimenez' stock has never been higher.
3. Ian Kinsler and Francisco Rodriguez to STL for SS Aledmys Diaz and RHP Luke Weaver
The Cardinals, very much alive in the N.L. wild card race, have been held back this season by the subpar play of second baseman Kolten Wong and the downfall of closer Trevor Rosenthal. In that light, the transcendent Kinsler and the resurgent K-Rod would be a very enticing package for St. Louis. They have the infield depth to sacrifice Diaz, the 25-year-old star who's hitting .315 with 13 home runs and 53 RBI on the season, and the pitching pipeline to part ways with Weaver, the Florida State product who has shined this season in Double-A. It's certainly not a win-now move for the aging Tigers, but shortstops like Diaz are hard to come by and you can never have too many young arms in the system.
4. And then…Miguel Cabrera to BOS for 2B Yoan Moncada and OF Andrew Benintendi
If we're blowing things up, let's really go for it. Cabrera is still one of the premier hitters in the game, but he's beginning to decline and the Tigers owe him a scary $30 million per year through the 2023 season. If Avila is inclined to move him, the time to do so is now. (This trade would require Hanley Ramirez to move over to third base but, for the sake of discussion, let's assume he's okay with it.) Moncada is the game's top-ranked prospect at second base, drawing early comparisons to Robinson Cano, while the 22-year-old Benintendi is growing into a terrific two-way center fielder. Both of them are on the verge of breaking through to the big leagues, so it wouldn't take long for this trade to pay dividends. With Diaz at short, Moncada at second and Benintendi in center, the Tigers would be as strong up the middle as any team in baseball.
5. RHP Beau Burrows and OF/INF Jacoby Jones to ARI for RHP Zack Greinke
Even assuming Zimmermann recovers his form upon returning, the Tigers' rotation doesn't look to be strong enough for a playoff push. After Verlander and Michael Fulmer, it is full of question marks and wild cards, from Mike Pelfrey and Anibal Sanchez to Matt Boyd and Daniel Norris. (Pelfrey, on the road, in a must-win game in late September? No thanks.) Greinke would bounce one of those four to the bullpen and combine with Verlander and Fulmer to form a dynamic trio at the top of the rotation. Burrows is the Tigers' top-ranked pitching prospect, Jones has potential to be a five-tool star and Avila (Mike Illitch) would have to swallow a heavy portion of Greinke's $34-million annual salary, but for a team desperate to keep its championship window open, Greinke would be the answer.
