The Detroit Tigers Are in a Tough Spot at This Year’s Deadline

The trade deadline is everyone’s favorite hypothetical part of the season. Discussing the ways your team can improve and the players your team will acquire is always interesting. However, this year’s deadline might not bring the fireworks you might expect, especially for the Detroit Tigers.

Although the Tigers have the most wins in baseball, their weaknesses are starting to show now more than ever. As is the case for most teams, help in the bullpen is a major need. Sure, they have a couple plus arms but not nearly enough to make you comfortable come October.

Luckily, bullpen arms are typically available and usually will not cost an arm and a leg. I have faith that Scott Harris and company can solve that issue, to some degree, but I am more worried about finding a bat.

The offense has not been clicking at the same rate as before and a number of players are trending back towards more reasonable expectations. A few players who helped carry the Tigers to last years post season are crumbling and another bat is a must.

The question then becomes, can they find one?

Is There a Bat that Makes Sense?

I’ll try to not recap everything I said in my full Tigers deadline piece, but there needs to be an added emphasis on addressing the potential bats on the market. The additions of Matt Vierling and Parker Meadows returning from injury have not added the spark we had all hoped for, each having an OPS under .550.

Javy Baez, Wenceel Perez, and Dillon Dingler have all entered a slump posting a .675 OPS or worse over the past month. Even Jahmai Jones, who gave the Tigers a few big moments, has return to looking like a Quad-A player.

While this might seem somewhat nitpicky considering how good the Tigers have been they are in no position to just hope this current roster is good enough. Not when you have World Series aspirations and not when the Tarik Skubal clock is ticking.

So, make the move. Replace Jones, Sweeney, and others with a bat that makes a difference. The problem is there aren’t many bats available that can make a difference.

Detroit needs either a third baseman or shortstop. Adding one would allow Baez and Zach McKinstry to fill the other position pushing Sweeney out and potentially Jones once Kerry Carpenter returns. With so many lefties, a righty bat is heavily preferred.

Eugenio Suarez is about the only big name that fits this description. Although Suarez returning to Detroit would be a fun story, do you really see the Tigers outbidding everyone else for a rental who doesn’t exactly fit what they typically look for in a player?

In order to acquire Suarez the Tigers will likely have to move one of their top-tier prospects (Max Clark, Kevin McGonigle, Bryce Rainer, Joscue Briceno) and I simply don’t see that happening.

After Suarez you are looking at names like Yoan Moncada, who’s often injured and an up and down player, or Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who’s fine, but not much of an impact player.

Of course, they could shift to the outfield and replacing the poor production from centerfield. But, there aren’t any true center fielders available outside of Cedric Mullins, who’s a lefty having an okay season, but won’t come cheap. Oh yeah, Luis Robert? No, thanks.

Adding a corner outfielder, such as Austin Hays, Ramon Laureano, Randal Grichuk, or even Taylor Ward would push Perez, to the minors (once Carpenter is healthy) and allow for a short-side platoon for Carpenter. Meadows might deserve a demotion more than Perez but I think his defense in center gives him the edge.

Vierling becomes the back up at third and center, McKinstry the back up at short to Baez, and Meadows hopefully finds his stride while filling in center. Possible, but is that enough to really boost this team in the playoffs?

Available Trade Pieces and Creative Ideas

Of course, in order to acquire top end talent you need to give up high end prospects. I want you to take a second and truly ask yourself if you see the Tigers giving up one of their top prospects. The same prospects Scott Harris has drafted and traded for. My answer is no.

So, if the prospects we all have in mind aren’t available you’ll have to pivot to players with control. Trading from the rotation doesn’t make sense, Dingler is not going anywhere, Sweeney doesn’t carry much value, leaving you with mostly Carpenter or Meadows.

Carpenter has had a down year, isn’t a great defender, and is a platoon only option. However, I doubt the Tigers will move him. He’s shown too much talent over the past few seasons and offers power that this team needs.

Meadows is more likely as elite center fielders are tough to come by. I still just don’t see the Tigers making that move this early into his career, even with Clark on the way. Right or wrong, it’s a level of aggressiveness I need to see before I believe it from Scott Harris.

Finding a player with control that people are overlooking is always possible. Each year several players get dealt that is a surprise, so I won’t rule it out. I also won’t rule out the idea of a top prospect getting an opportunity.

McGonigle, offensively, is advanced beyond his years. Recently promoted to Double-A Erie, McGonigle could theoretically be the answer at short. Although movement through the minors at this rate is not normal, we’ve seen prospects as recent as Evan Carter be given an opportunity to boost a playoff team.

The idea is fun, but I’d say there’s a low chance of this route actually happening. The organization has been pretty patient with prospects and relying on a soon to be 21 year-old to man short for a playoff team is a tall task, even if I think he could do it.

Final Thoughts

I don’t want to sound like I’m making excuses before anything *actually* happens, but the Tigers can only acquire what is made available. I know they will not stand pat, I’m sure there will be a couple of moves, but I’m seeing a difficult path to adding another imapct bat.

In order to counter the lack of bats, Detroit needs to lean into the bullpen and starter markets. See if you can’t construct a team that can win close games due to their pitching, which we saw the Tigers do last season.

At the end of the day the Tigers are in the midst of one of their best seasons in decades. Make sure to soak it all in.