Earlier today, we learned that three prominent Detroit Tigers (Jose Iglesias, Francisco Liriano and Jordan Zimmerman) have cleared trade waivers, meaning that each is eligible to be traded at any time during the remainder of the season. For any of the three to be eligible for postseason play, he would need to be shipped off to another team before the end of the month.
Each of the three aforementioned players have varying levels of value in relation to their respective salaries for 2018 (and money owed beyond this season). However, it’s not hard to imagine any of the three as a plausible trade candidate; there are certainly plenty of contending teams who could use a shortstop or a starting pitcher. The Tigers would likely have to eat some of the remaining salary owed to any of these three players in the event an agreement is struck with a contending team, but I want to explore the plausibility of each player being dealt, not his overall contract value.
Jose Iglesias, SS- The bulk of Iglesias’ value is locked up in his defensive capabilities. Though he’s hit just .276/.306/.391 over the course of the 2018 season (a batting line that’s not too far off from his career averages), Iglesias owns a Fangraphs defensive rating of 13.7 due in part to the accrual of four Defensive Runs Saved and an Ultimate Zone Rating of 8.9 to this point on the year. That, combined with a below-average wRC+ of 88, has earned him a 2.2 fWAR mark- the highest of any player on this list. Infielders with Iglesias’ defensive capabilities are in short supply, so it’s easy to imagine there would be more than one suitor for the 28-year-old should the Tigers pay down some of his $6.3MM arbitration salary.
Francisco Liriano, LHP- Liriano’s served as a starter for the bulk of his career, and although he’s been largely unspectacular over the course of his 13-season MLB career, he’s shown flashes of brilliance. Most notably, Liriano put up a 3.26 ERA across the 2013-2015 seasons while with the Pirates, notching 9.58 K/9 against 3.78 BB/9 while managing a 52% ground ball rate. While it seems likely that those days are behind him, Liriano could still prove a useful asset to a contending team should he figure out how to regain some semblance of control (he’s walked more than five batters per nine innings on the season). It could be tough to find a taker, considering he owns a 4.37 ERA in 17 starts on the season that seems lucky when compared to his 5.23 FIP, but it’s worth mentioning that the Astros acquired him down the stretch last season in order to utilize him as a reliever, and there’s more than one team that might benefit from adding a lefty to its bullpen.
Jordan Zimmerman, RHP- Zimmerman’s case is the most curious of these three, particularly considering the massive amount of money he’s owed beyond 2018 ($50MM) and the fact that he has a full no-trade clause as part of his contract with the Tigers. Still, after a pair of horrific seasons since signing with Detroit and an equally-rough start to the 2018 season, Zimmerman’s returned to some semblance of usefulness. In eight starts after coming off the disabled list on June 16th, the righty’s managed to compile 41 strikeouts against a stingy seven walks. The result has been a reasonable 3.91 ERA across 46 innings, and he’s lasted at least five innings in all but one of his eight contests. A pitcher of that caliber would certainly be useful to a number of contending teams looking for a fourth starter in October. The tricky part of any negotiation would be deciding upon exactly how much of Zimmerman’s remaining salary ought to be paid down, and that’s without even considering what it might take to convince him to waive his no-trade clause after he chose to sign with the Tigers in part due to Detroit’s geographic location.
It’s no certainty that any of these three will be dealt. But it’s not an impossibility that all three could be moved prior to August 31st, either. Who do you think is most likely to be on the move this season? Here’s a link to the poll for those using the app.
No one would even consider trading for Zimmerman with that money owed. Even Verlander barley had any intrest.
The only way any team even checks in on him is if one of the contenders loses their #1 or 2 starters for the rest of the season, but that salary is a stopper for sure.
The only way I could see it is with a team a need matching up as a team that Zimmermann would waive his NTC to go to. And even then, the Tigers would have to send along a large chunk of change. I don’t see a team like the Dodgers or Red Sox or Astros needing him. I don’t see him waiving his NTC to go to the Brewers or Rockies or Braves due to the parks. There are really only 2 possibilities I could see even remotely matching up, the Phillies or the A’s. The Phils would have the best chance to absorb the salary and the A’s would probably be Zim’s preferred location due to the park.
I can assure you Oakland is no one’s preferred park.
Oakland is an extreme pitchers park which can make pitchers look much better than they are. Yes, pitchers like going up there to resurrect their careers.
Now 2.5 years is long to be stuck in the dump, so not sure Zimmerman would be excited about that. But if he were a FA after 2019, no doubt it’d be tempting
CoolKidJoe, and why is that? It is probably the most pitcher friendly park in baseball.
I mean who doesn’t love the smell of sewage and feces in the dugout?
I could see the Phils taking a shot on all 3 . Iglesias might not be as necessary with Cabrera now, but his defense is better than his or Kingery’s..
Actually could see JZ going to the Brewers since he grew up in Wisconsin.
What about Victor Martinez??
Not a big demand for a 39 year old DH with a .606 ops. These day. Times are changing.
Lmao
your father concur with that?
Teams would love Vmart if his knees worked
You tried
Liriano. Everyone likes a lefty out of the pen.
Jose Iglesias. I’ll guess he’s 2nd best defensive SS in MLB, and he’s having a career year on offense. (By his standards)
I’m assuming Crawford and Simmons are tied for first, right? Iglesias isn’t better than Simmons or Crawford.
That’s why I said “I guess..” knew I wouldn’t be that far off. His defense is a pleasure to watch. going to be interesting follow his market for this offseason.
Don’t discount Trevor Story either. His defense gets overshadowed by his power, but it is excellent.
Lindor?
Career year? I’d put 2013 and 2015 easily ahead of this year
Assuming you don’t have Didi as your #1 shortstop don’t think Jose is #2 by any stretch of the imagination regardless of the metrics and Fangraphs.
The eyes don’t lie!
Iggy and Liriano but don’t be shocked to see Zimmerman get dealt of Tigers eat 25 million. He’s worth a flyer on a contending team with an injury in their starting rotation. It’s worth it if one is injured.
Iglesias: Definitely will be traded
Liriano: Definitely will be traded
Zimmermann: Unlikely to be traded by the end of this month. If he gets traded, it will be after the season is over.
Francisco Liriano has had one of the strangest up and down careers. If only he hadn’t gotten hurt in 06
Yes, he had a Fall of Fame quality first 4 months of his career, but it’s been downhill ever since. However, he has earned $62 million for being overall mediocre (e.g. 105-105 win-loss record; started as many as 31 games only twice in his career.)
He has been very good during various stretches in his career. Of course 06 and then coming back in 08, his first 3 years in Pittsburgh, then after getting traded to Toronto for that third of a season. You never know what you’re going to get from him
None, they all suck.
No, you suck I don’t see you in the major leagues.
This is a long stretch but I could see the Halos at least having some interest for Zimmerman. Lots of the salary would need to be retained. I am a Halos fan and I’m not supporting an acquisition of Zimmerman, but I can at least see the interest.
So if you’re not supporting of an acquisition of Zimmerman but want them to be interested, you’re window shopping for no reason at all.
He doesn’t want the Zim to need TJ surgery.
i think iggy and lariano are good trade candidates…we will know in a couple days…. washington if they still think they can win and also think strasburg is a no go..i could see a trade for zimmerman…but only if tigers eat a large amount his salary….wash had interest in zimm in off season… no one else will touch him.. prediction …iggy to cards.. lariano to pitt…..zimm stays in Detroit forever…Detroit is a disaster right now going be a total disaster next year hope wont really start til 2021….
Lori amp will not be going back to Pitt. They gave up a prospect just to get him out of town. Apparently Searage wanted him to stop moving all over the rubber to try & help a slump, Liriano refused,the slump continued, them Pitts gave him to Toronto.
The best thing in the world for Zimm would be to go back to DC. But the Tigers would have to eat that contract. But Zimm is from Wisconsin, so unless Milwaukee calls, he may not waive the NTC.
I don’t see Iglesias going anywhere. The Tigers have been trying to trade him for over a year, if there were any interest, he’d be gone already.
Zimmerman, too much money owed and frequents the DL too much for someone to take the risk even with paying down the contract
Liriano- has held left handed hitters to an average around .100 all year. I think someone will deal for him and turn him into a lefty specialist out of the pen
Does this mean they all had to be DFA’d first?
It means that they all had to clear waivers first.
I thought the only way for someone to be traded after the deadline was for their team to DFA them, then trade them. Then they would be put on waivers? Right?
No, the team puts them on revocable waivers. If no one claims them, the team has the ability to then trade them to any team they want to.
There are different types of waivers. The one in August is revocable trade waivers. If a player is claimed a team can choose to let him go for nothing, work out a trade with that team only, or they can pull him back. Once you pull someone back, you can’t put them on trade waivers again. THEN you’d have to put them on regular waivers and you’d lose the ability to pull them back if they are claimed.
thanks guys
Liriano easily. Everyone needs bullpen help.
The only team that might need Zimmerman enough to take that dive is Milwaukee, where Wade Miley is currently their ace.
Position player market demand is low. The Rays had to give away Hechevarria.
Iglesias and Lirano to the Red Sox? Iglesias can play 2nd and Lirano as LHP out of the pen since the Sox have none.
I like it. Who Red Sox give up?
For Jordan Zimmermann to be traded, the Tigers would have to take a player with a heavy but lesser or shorter contract from the other team.
The Phillies could really use Jose Iglesias’ defense but, they did not expect to be division leaders this season and aren’t ready to change their plan and trade for multiple IF rentals.
I suspect that “none of the above” is a better answer. The Tigers have to field a MLB level team and Francisco Liriano is an acceptable SP for them.
If the Phillies didn’t already have Cabrera, Kingery, and Crawford coming back, I wouldn’t mind Iglesias for the defense.
Now, if the Phillies want to send Kingery back down to work out his kinks, I’d be for it. Iglesias would just take his place even with Crawford coming back.
This is what I think about when turning Liriano back into a lefty specialist for the postseason: the Astros did that last year and barely used him. Not every pitcher can warm up in the bullpen during a game, come in with men on base, and be effective. I’m sure he learned from the experience last year and can do better. Yet, there also has to be a reason he chose to sign with the Tigers this past offseason as a starter over being a reliever on a presumed contender. My theory is he doesn’t like coming out of the bullpen and teams know this about him, which is why no one has tried it again.
I could see Iggy and Liriano being traded. With all the injuries to players… the Red Sox and Astros who are solid up the middle, could still use someone short term for the playoffs. And lefty relievers are always in demand. Zimm is owed way too much money to even consider picking up. He is signed for 2 more years, so any team might have a little interest. But he has been bad for quite a while, I just don’t see it. Maybe San Diego if they think they can get him straightened out?
I think the Tigers should offer Iggy a contract for next year. They have no one to step in (Dixon Machado?) And there really isn’t much of a market this off season. Just give him a 1 or 2 year deal till someone comes up through the system to replace him.
If he’ll accept a contract from the Tigers, I like Jose Iglesias too. I think he’ll hit better too. The Tigers could do much worse.
Yep. Detroit’s future middle infielders are in AA so they’ll need a stop gap. Wenceel Perez looks good too but he is 18. I’ve watched 90% of Tigers games this year. Iggy has been really good, all-star level with the glove. And take away his terrible April and his BA since then is like .290. Gardy loves him. I think there is a chance he will be in Detroit next year. I hope he and Castellanos stay. We fans might overvalue them, but it seems the rest of the league undervalues them.