DETROIT — For the first time in a long time, the Detroit Tigers are not already labeled clear sellers in the lead-up to the trade deadline. July 30 is still a long time away. But as the Tigers hover around .500, still within striking distance of a wild-card spot in MLB’s expanded playoffs, there are no certainties.
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The Tigers are clearly still building, which could put president of baseball operations Scott Harris in a position that will be enlightening in terms of how he views the franchise and its timeline to true contention. Might the Tigers get aggressive and buy? Even if they are within shouting distance of the playoffs, would they sell and build assets for the future?
We’re about six weeks from finding out.
The Jack Flaherty conversation
Discussions about the pros and cons of trading Tarik Skubal are gold for talk radio. But the more realistic scenario? Jack Flaherty will be the Tigers’ top asset come the trade deadline.
Flaherty is on a one-year, $14-million contract. And it again creates an interesting debate — if the Tigers are still in the race, should they trade a pitcher who is in the midst of a stellar bounceback season? Flaherty entered Tuesday with a 3.22 ERA and 11.64 K/9. His success makes him valuable to the current team but may make him even more marketable to other clubs. The Tigers got a solid prospect in infielder Hao-Yu Lee in exchange for Michael Lorenzen at last season’s deadline. Flaherty is a similar rental but should figure to have even more value.
At this point in the Tigers’ trajectory, holding on the Flaherty only to lose him for nothing makes little sense. The idea of an extension is always a possibility, but after making $14 million this season, Flaherty could seek to command plenty of money on the open market. From a straight logic standpoint, trading Flaherty seems like the most likely course of action. Case in point: The Tigers didn’t benefit at all from two extra months of Eduardo Rodriguez last year when their deal with the Dodgers fell apart.
What would it take for the Tigers to buy?
Hard to say. Harris’ approach to the offseason was centered on building around young bats, leaving spots open in the major leagues and providing runway for young players. That’s unlikely to change, and the likes of Jace Jung could be pushing for a promotion by season’s end. But might the demotion of Spencer Torkelson alter the calculus? If the Tigers don’t have faith in Torkelson returning this year and being a major staple, perhaps they could add a first baseman at the deadline to add thump to the lineup. Such a move likely would not cost much but could present a clear way to improve a lineup that ranks 23rd in OPS. The Tigers aren’t going to be shopping in the high end of the market, but even a small offensive upgrade could make a big difference.
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What about Mark Cahna, Gio Urshela and more?
Flaherty is the headliner, and the Tigers may also receive calls regarding some of their controllable relievers. The Tigers in the past have been hesitant to move relief pitchers under team control. The Tigers do, however, have a few veteran bats on expiring contracts who could be candidates to move at the deadline. Mark Canha, for example, has a .346 on-base percentage as of Tuesday and could be an asset to almost any lineup. Urshela may have value because of his ability to hit left-handed pitching. Catcher Carson Kelly, too, may be an underrated trade piece. Kelly is worth plus-6 defensive runs saved so far this season and has a 92 wRC+. Teams are always seeking catching help at the deadline, and flipping a reclamation project in Kelly could be the definition of the good baseball moves Harris seeks to make.
This year, with a fan base starved for interest, the Tigers may be walking a fine line. Welcome, finally, to the thread-the-needle challenge most of the league tends to face in late July.
We’re about to learn a lot about the Tigers and how their leadership views the path forward.
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(Top photo of Jack Flaherty: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)