Tigers GM Al Avila says that his organization is willing to begin listening to inquiries on the organization’s players, Evan Woodberry of MLive.com reports (Twitter links). While that doesn’t mean the club is specifically seeking to make early deals, says Avila, it will be amenable to considering them.
It’s not particularly surprising, at this point, to learn of the Tigers’ current approach. The organization announced last fall that it intended to pursue a younger, less costly roster; while that never really came to pass over the winter, it obviously remains a broad strategic imperative.
With the club now bringing up the rear in the AL Central, with the second-to-worst record in the American League, contention seems unlikely. Instead, it seems, the team will look to add the kind of young talent that will support a more sustainable approach to contention in the future.
Detroit’s most obvious trade asset is slugger J.D. Martinez, who has been outstanding since missing the early part of the season due to injury. Current closer Justin Wilson also stands out. Otherwise, the club will have to navigate no-trade protection and big contracts to find trade partners for many of its best players. Second baseman Ian Kinsler can block moves to ten teams and is controlled with a $10MM option for 2018, though stars Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander enjoy full no-trade rights and much larger salary commitments.
Will they trade Avila?
They already traded Trader Dave who is the source of the problems with the franchise. Too much trading away your future to mortgage with overpaid, over the hill players.
What? If anything you sell high on Avila. Send him to a team that doesn’t have a real catcher.
I’m pretty sure some of you are talking about the gm and then others about the catcher.
Such a pathetic and incorrect statement. Without a Dave D, you get a World Series appearances. Mike Illitch wanted those players and authorized those huge extensions. He wanted JV and Miggy to be in the HOF and as a Tigers. He paid dearly but it was Mr I who is to blame not Dave D.
Don’t feed the troll
Bad trades. Bad signings. M O always the same. Take a look at all of the young talented players that he discarded that came back to bite him in the ass.
“Trader Dave.” One of the smartest and most well-respected baseball people in the game. Such a dumb comment.
Or—-Wishful thinking for Cardinal fans!!!
Respected by other GM’s as a great guy to pick a team’s best farm system players.
Name one player that would help the Tigers that DD traded away.
Cory Knebbel, the current Brewers closer, comes to mind.
Robbie Ray, Eugenio Suarez, Devon Travis, Andrew Miller. The guy was great at trading but they often looked good because he was terrible at drafting.
Miller got us Cabrera = no regrets
Ray is better than Shane Green.
Eugenio Suarez is better than Simon but what would you do with two SS?
Devon Travis for Gose was bad….
So we kind of have the whole spectrum…
Put every player mentioned together and add them to the Tigers roster, the Tigers are not much better and certainly the minors isn’t improved. How did trades for C Gerald Laird, 1B Carlos Pena, 1B Sean Casey, 1B Miguel Cabrera, 2B Placido Polonco, 2B Ian Kinsler, SS Carlos Guillen, SS Jose Inglesis, 3B Jhonny Peralta LF Yoenis Cespedis, CF Alex Sanchez, CF Austin Jackson, , DH Delmon Young, SP Nate Robertson, SP Jeremy Bonderman, SP Edwin Jackson, SP Max Scherzer, SP Robbie Ray, SP Doug Fister, SP Anibal Sanchez, SP David Price, SP Daniel Norris, SP Matt Boyde, SP Michael Fulmer, RP Ian Krol, RP Jaokim Soria, RP Jose Veras, RP Shane Greene, deplete the Tigers minor league system?,
The only bad trades that came from the Tiger system was Jair Jurrjens and Kory Knebel. Eugenio Suarez was a free agent, Devon Travis still couldn’t make the Tigers team. Hernan Perez was waived and is not a starter. Robbie was acquired with Max Scherzer and Ian Krol. Rick Porcello was acquired for Yoenis Cespedis and Drew Smyly brought David Price.
Again, the Tiger system was not effected at all.
How many rookies per year make the team?
If the Tigers were adequate a drafting, these trades wouldn’t look nearly as good.
Not sure if anyone would give someone up for a guy with a .420 BABIP and no previous history to show thats somewhat sustainable
His Daddy should be traded, his GM skills have been horrible.
Bout time, seems unlikely verlander or Cabrera will be dealt, but almost everyone else seems like a possibility.
Miggy is having his worst year ever. Don’t know if he’s playing hurt, but he’s not his usual self.
TRADE LITERALLY EVERYONE AND COLLECT AS MANY PROSPECTS AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.
And then suck for 10 years, have three good years, and never win the Series. Lose all those guys to Free Agency. Repeat.
I mean the playoffs are a crapshoot so that’s really the best you can do
About time
I just hope Al has better luck in talent acquisition going forward then he has had in the past. So far, most of the players he has acquired have been bust. I am losing confidence quickly in his ability to run the Tigers.
maybe st louis and detroit could just switch rosters
What are the chances Miggy is actually traded and what would it take to get him?
Almost zero chance he is traded. It would only take the other team paying the contract/some part of the contract
I think if they didn’t sign him to that dumb extension recently then he would be gone.
He has a contract that runs to 2023. Unless Detroit eats some of it, I doubt a team will pay for a aging superstar, that’s having a down year.
should’ve done this in the offseason. JD should be the first one to go and it’d be hard to move anyone else major at the deadline
There will be no problem trading Justin Wilson, and he may have as much value as JD on the Market.
No they’re not XD XD XD
We heard the same thing this past offseason. I won’t hold my breath that Big Al does anything.
Fire the Tiger manager, dumb ass!
His name is Brad
If you are going to rebuild, you better do it now while you will get the most trade value out of these players. Almost all of them will regress in a year or two.
Most won’t be on the team in two years, because they will be gone as FAs. The ones that will be are contracts that are untradeable..
I SERIOUSLY doubt it would happen but I have to wonder if the Tigers might be willing to deal Verlander (and he’d have to waive his no trade rights) somewhat low. Somewhere around the lines of Fried, Toussaint, and Riley (and it might not cost that much). Verlander is still owed a sizeable amount of money (with a vesting option on the back end) but he could be a veteran anchor to the Braves staff. He’d also be reunited with one of his old pitching coaches. The Tigers would restock their organization some, and save significant money as well. I’m not saying in anyway that exactly what I purposes could happen, but I could see something similar happen.
Here’s the situation Avila finds himself in.
1. Cabrera is looking mortal, and is owed $30MM for all eternity, and has a full no trade clause. He’s not going anywhere..
2. Justin Verlander has stated he wants to win. He is owed $28MM for another 4? years. He has a full no trade clause. He’s limited to being offered to a contender, with deep pockets. Look at LA or NY and don’t expect too much back if they take on that contract. Maybe one near ready prospect or a couple far away prospects. Wont be popular with the fans if it happens.
3. Ian Kinsler has already stated that he wants something for his waive of the no trade clause. He is having a below average season, but is at a very reasonable salary. He is not a rental, as there is an option for ’18. This will be where Avila’s skill will determine the return. Toronto and Tampa may be good fits. Not too many other teams have a need.
4. Alex Avila is having a good year, but is injury prone. He also would likely be the backup for what ever team trades for him. Pure Rental. Not getting much.
5. JD Martinez is the type of player that is being de-valued by the new metrics. He’s not a good defender, He is not fast. Think a better version of Mark Trumbo. Trumbo couldn’t find any interested parties this past off season. He settled with Baltimore for much less than predicted. JD is a bat only player, and a rental. Another trade that will be unpopular and not get much back in return.
6. Justin Wilson is a monster arm, and left handed. He will not be a closer where he is traded, and has not looked good in that role with the Tigers. He is a one inning pitcher. And he is a rental. This is where there is demand and recent history has shown teams will pay. Don’t be thinking Chapman or Miller like returns, but expect solid.
Final analysis is that while Avila has a fair amount of talent, the no trade clauses, the money, and the expiring contracts all limit the value. If every dollar freed up would go to payroll, it might allow the ability to restock the team. Instead it will go to reducing payroll. Avila is in a no win situation. His trades will all look like he didn’t get enough back. Or he will refuse to trade for the small return, and that will make him look bad too.
Good post, Stymeedone. Tigers are basically screwed.
Excellent post. If indeed he is in a no win situation, he is partly to blame for not trading Kinsler and Verlander when they had more value in the offseason.
I’d agree with everything expect for your JD take. JD will have a fair amount of appeal on the trade market since he’s a FA after this year and his bat is very good. He is much better than Trumbo.
I did say he was better than Trumbo. I simply said his type of player is being devalued by the current trends. I don’t believe that being a rental increases his value, however.
I think the current direction / management philosophy is a result of the new owner. The Tigers will no longer enjoy the open checkbook approach of Mr. I. the team is now just another asset, to be managed with a view of the financial rather than on field results.
Kinsler and Verlander were not really gonna bring that much in the off season either. The only team that was really looking for a 2B was the Dodgers, and they balked when Kinsler wanted another year for waiving his no trade. Verlander has a big contract, and that was true in the off season as well. Who, that could afford him, was willing to take on that type of money, AND give up prospects this past off season? No one. Coming off a CY season, I doubt the Tigers were willing to eat salary. Little of the Tigers assets are in demand, or have excess value.
I’m loyal to HoF level players so I’d say JV and Miggy deserve to stay here as long as they want or until their contracts expire.
Get rid of A. Wilson, Hardy, Presley and Maccado. Look at how many games A.Wilson has blown in relief. The Tigers need a couple of good reliefers and one good starter. Quit taken the first strike and that stupid 100 pitch crap. Mix up the the lineup. More hit and run. Solo homeruns, don’t win many games for the Tigers.
It is time to trade that DUDE who sits behind the home plate facing the wrong way looking at fans trying to assassinate the umpire. Those tigers waste money with the dude never looking correctly at the game but always ready to over react to a child or oldster venturing down for a look. No other major league team wastes money on distrust of fans.
Tonight he is in orange and obviously upset over his looking at everyone as thought they were bad and no good.. What a waste and insult!!!!!!!!!!