Tigers relievers Alex Lange and Jason Foley are the club’s most valuable trade chips in the bullpen, but veterans Jose Cisnero and Chasen Shreve are drawing interest as well, per Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. Both are free agents at season’s end, giving both a good chance to be moved by next Tuesday’s deadline.
Cisnero, a 34-year-old righty, has pitched to a 3.96 ERA in 38 1/3 innings this season and carries a 3.19 ERA in 155 frames dating back to the 2020 season. He’s averaging 96.1 mph on his heater, striking out 25.7% of his opponents against an 8.4% walk rate, and inducing grounders at a health 45.2% clip in 2023. He’s earning $2,287,500 this season.
Shreve, who turned 33 earlier this month, is sporting a less-appealing 4.82 ERA but has a more appetizing secondary profile. He’s punching out a strong 24.2% of his opponents against a 6.8% walk rate, sports a nice 12.9% swinging-strike rate and has kept the ball on the ground at a 47.7% clip. Fielding-independent metrics (3.89 xFIP, 3.57 SIERA) feel he’s performed far better than that ERA would suggest. Notably, five of the 20 runs Shreve has allowed this year came in one nightmare outing; he has a 3.67 ERA and 31-to-7 K/BB ratio in 27 innings since.
Originally signed to a minor league deal, Shreve is earning a $1.25MM base salary in Detroit, though his contract was an incentive-laden deal and he’s already begun to tap into those bonuses. He’s already triggered a trio of $75K bonuses for reaching 20, 30 and 35 innings pitched, and he’ll unlock another $75K bonus when he hits 40 innings. Shreve’s contract also pays him $100K at 45 and 50 innings and $125K innings at both 55 and 60 innings.
Neither reliever figures to draw a substantial haul of talent on his own, but the 46-55 Tigers figure to be open to dealing either, given their looming free agency. Neither would receive a qualifying offer, and Detroit could use those spots in the bullpen to look at younger arms down the stretch. Speculatively, either could be paired up with one of the Tigers’ other clear-cut trade candidates — Eduardo Rodriguez, Michael Lorenzen — to enhance the return.
McCosky writes that Cisnero and Shreve have thus far generated more trade interest than either Lange or Foley, though that’s surely just due to likely asking price on the latter duo. Both Lange and Foley are under Tigers control through the 2027 season, and while neither can be entirely ruled out as a trade candidate, that remaining club control will naturally lead to a much higher asking price. Be that as it may, ESPN’s Jeff Passan suggests that some clubs could eventually turn to names like Lange and Foley in their quest for bullpen upgrades, given the underwhelming slate of names on this summer’s rental market.
Trade either Lange or Foley if the return is excellent, but do not trade both. There is enough relief depth in the Tiger organization and relief pitching remains too far ahead of starting pitching and offense; selling from strength and bolstering where needed would be a wise move. But it takes willing partners. Cisnero and Shreve can be traded off for the #20 prospect the Tigers usually get (or lower).
Would agree, but define excellent return. Lange and Foley are controllable enough that I would not do it for anything less than a top 100 prospect that is a position player plus at least one other player we can take a chance on. The available relief pitching is not that great so anyone who wants a back end reliever should pay.
A top 100 prospect and another intriguing player would qualify in my view.
The bullpen is only a comparative strength on the Tigers. Its middle of the pack at best in MLB. Lets not trade all of Avila’s pitching until we know that Harris can replenish the supply. Holton has been a find, but his others have not worked out as well. Lange and Foley have too much control, and should be part of the core going forward. Dombrowski couldn’t fix the bullpen and several good teams were wasted. Avila and Fetters fixed it. It still needs more. Detroit needs to add to them.
Tigers should sell their impending FA’s like Lorenzen, E-Rod (He will opt out to make more money and he went A-Wall last season) Cisnero and Shreve. Replacing them in house would be Fadeo, Wentz into the rotation and Hill and Louge into the bullpen.
100% No immediate need to sell low, IMO. This season has gone better than expected. And the flaws are obvious. If they can’t fill a need by trading them,sit it out and wait for the right offer.
Turnbull coming back soon
Trade them. Trade Lange, Wentz, Baez and everyone else not named Greene, Tork, Mize, Skubal, and Manning.
And don’t trade Tork
A little extreme imo. I definitely wouldn’t trade Carpenter, he’s proving that he’s a legitimate mlb hitter and is probably the primary DH going forward. Now if they could manage to trade Baez that would be absolutely fantastic
I’m guessing Henry-Malloy will get first opportunity at DH. Carpenter has improved in the OF. Malloy doesn’t really have a position other than Bat.
By most counts, Malloy is below average at third base and average in right and left field. He won’t do any worse than Carpenter in the outfield.
Unless we get a massive overhaul in return, Lange and Foley are the perfect guys to keep and build a bullpen around if we want to contend any time in the next 5 years. They’re improving year by year and are under team control until 2028.
Plenty of guys behind them. They only emerged last year
2021
Trade Vest, Lange.
Vest is on the IL
Didn’t know
They are 100% gone. Hopefully Harris gets a young impact bat or two for all the bullpen and starting pitching they ship out, like he did getting Malloy for Jimenez. Maybe they try to bring Lorenzen back in the offseason…he was a good signing, good clubhouse guy and seems to have figured things out (thanks Chris Fetter!).
Jimenez has had a good season for Atlanta. Henry-Malloy is still an unknown, other than he’s not strong defensively. Just don’t want to be referencing a trade with unknown outcome as being a positive. Hope it is!
Jimenez is doing ok. Throwing fewer strikes a more balls. Aside from a disastrous May the results have been good. Malloy is putting up an .877 OPS in Toledo. They moved him to outfield and his defense has been solid, much better than the error feat at 3B. He won’t win any gold gloves, but he won’t be a liability. It was a good trade for both sides.
0-3 and zero saves isn’t great
The Tigers should trade Rodriguez, Lorenzon, Cisnero and Shreeve if they can get a good offer. I don’t want them trading younger players like Skubal, Manning, Olson, Foley, Lange or Vest. They should be building their future around those guys.
I wouldn’t trade for Jose Canseco even if they threw in his twin brother.
Like everybody else here, I hope the Tigers trade their upcoming FA pitchers Rodriguez, Lorenzen, Cisnero and Shreve; indeed ideally bundled together to enhance the return. Getting position players seems almost imperative, but if the value is right, I would be happy about pitching prospects as well.
Lange struggles massively at the moment, therefore his market must be bad right now. But Foley shines, and I wouldn’t mind if the Tigers sold high on him.
Gruß,
BSHH
I think there still may be a market for Lange. His struggles remind me of Gregory Soto, maybe not as bad, IMO. He still has his times he has clean innings to end a game. Foley is a bit better but don’t forget he’s had meltdowns in the recent past, albeit not as drastic as Lange. Tyler Holton is the one I trust most in a high leverage situation. I agree on packaging a couple of the impending FAs in trades but not just settling for a warm body or two. Position players, yes, the priority, preferably major league ready, is the ultimate, but can’t have enough pitching depth, especially how snakebitten the Tigers have been the last few years regarding their young pitchers.
Cisnero, Lorenzen, Rodriguez, Shreve, Haase, Baez, Maton, Baddoo, Pancheco , Bergner and Workman.
See what you can get for them and move on to 2024.
Keith, Malloy and Parker Meadows should be up by then among others. It’s really the middle infield that’s the problem imo.
They need a 3B, and a C. They have moved both Keith and Henry-Malloy off the position, and McKinstry is better suited for utility. I definitely don’t like him as a full time starter at 3B. Ibanez fits as a RH platoon in OF. Rogers may develop like Molina, with the bat developing over time. Will Dinglers bat come around?
I gotta disagree on the ‘catcher’ part. Rogers has enough tools and enough power that we should stick with him FOR NOW….we’ve got other priorities FOR NOW….maybe further down the road, if we stumble into somebody better, then great!
Keith is playing plenty at second and third, Malloy is mostly in the corner outfield positions. Really, the Tigers need a good second or third baseman, Keith can take the other spot.
No one is going to take Haase, Maton or Baez. Dodgers were the only one I could see might do it and they just grabbed Rosario. Pacheco is still young enough to rebound. Maton and Workman both have holes in their swing but other strengths that still make them interesting (albeit as a Utility IF).
There are some good players out there in the majors and minors who might be available, could handle 3B and are swinging a good bat. Nolan Gorman? Justin Foscue? Jonathan Aranda? Xavier Edwards? et al. Check the top 30 prospect lists for each team and there are some names that stand out in AA and AAA. Hopefully they get a decent young player at the trade deadline or in the offseason.
Chapman comes to mind at third.
Eduardo Rodriguez got paid well to cone to Detroit to do his laundry last season pitched a few good games before hitting the injured list, he has been 50/50 since his return from the IL. All said and done let’s hope that Scott Harris gets a good deal to get rid of him.
Is it just me? Or do others find it hilarious people seem to think we could actually trade Baez?
They seem serious.
Too bad you guys are so PC, you can’t even condone booing at a baseball game…..this country has become so sad…..
Aye, this country has indeed lost its way. I can’t help but go back to the day when we all learned President Kennedy had been shot and killed.
ERod,Cisneo,Lorenzen, are long gone and possibly Lange..A package of Erod and Lange to Cinci for Jonathon India would be interesting…lorenzen probably will bring back a teams lower end prospects that’s it..Would love to move Baez..but see no hope…add a top prospect and eat a bunch his salary is what will have to be done to move him…
Lange isn’t going anywhere.