4:24pm: Detroit hasn’t decided yet whether it’ll take the other PTBNL or cash to complete the trade, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets.
3:48pm: The Tigers have acquired right-hander Nolan Blackwood from the Athletics, per an announcement from Detroit. Blackwood’s one of the two players to be named later in the teams’ Mike Fiers trade from earlier this month.
The 23-year-old Blackwood had been with the A’s since they used a 14th-round pick on him in 2016. He ended up ascending to the Double-A level this year with Oakland, pitching to a 4.08 ERA/3.51 FIP with 8.15 K/9, 2.72 BB/9 and an excellent 62.5 percent groundball rate in 53 innings (39 appearances). Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com ranked Blackwood as the A’s 30th-best prospect prior to his departure from the organization, noting that the 6-foot-5 sidearmer has quality stuff, including a 91 to 93 mph fastball with “heavy sink,” and “tremendous deception.”
Fiers, meanwhile, has been terrific for the A’s thus far, having thrown 11 1/3 innings of three-run ball with 13 strikeouts against zero walks in two starts since the surging AL West title contenders added him on Aug. 6. But with the Tigers in a rebuild and well out of contention, it didn’t make sense for them to keep the 33-year-old Fiers through the season. Now, at Fiers’ expense, Detroit has picked up at least one promising prospect in Blackwood. He’ll join a Tigers farm system that Baseball America ranks as the majors’ 14th-best group (subscription required).
a big nothing
“a big nothing”
On paper he looks like a potential LOOGY. While that may not be the Tigers most pressing need atm it does have value.
He throws righthanded, so not a LOOGY
A ROOGY!
“He throws righthanded, do not a LOOGY”
Ahem. I must have had a loogy in my eye when I read the piece.
Tiger fans don’t be down on this guy… He has the same first name as Nolan Ryan…
Sounds like a future rocky with a name like that
Nolan Ryan’s first name is “Lynn”
Good call! I hadn’t heard that in years. Back of baseball card stuff
I’ve often wondered how much the “or cash” is in these transactions. It’s never listed.
Precisely $17.38
Never any more, never any less.
Thanks!
Ok… now that’s hilarious!
Like a poor mans QO
Great bkbkbk now tiger fans have no hope at all
Yes, everyone was counting on the Fiers trade to resurrect the team.
Go Oakland!!
Yeah buddy!!! Yanks and Astros wild card game now that would be something!
Since 2002, it seems like many teams that haven’t been to a post season or world series are getting there. This years surprises could be Oakland and Atlanta. Nice to see this instead of the same old same old.
Yanks/Astros wild card very interesting
22 games under .500…Tigers fans have no hope with or without Nolan. I’d rather have gotten the real Nolan Ryan at his current age… As Ernie Harrell would say the Tigers are…LONG GONE!
Uhm… I think you missed the mark on this one! This isn’t about 2018.
Sometimes I wonder if fans understand rebuilds. I don’t think this one does.
Miggy and Nolan will make the Tigers contenders next season yay!
Solid skill set for a bullpen guy. Come in with runners, get a ground ball and strand the runners.
Not bad, but the A’s have a strong contingent of young SS on the farm and that’s the most pressing need for the Tigers…hope the other PTBNL is a young SS
When I stated long gone…I meant for this season. And yes I do understand rebuilds. Just was having a little fun! I am a long time Tigers fan…
nolan will probablybe a reliever in the long run…and help the tigers that way…..but who knows…curious on who player number 2 will be probably a bag of balls.. ….. when will iggy get traded……