The Tigers announced that they’ve placed shortstop Jose Iglesias on the 10-day disabled list due to a lower abdominal strain and recalled infielder Dawel Lugo from Triple-A Toledo in his place.
Today’s trip to the disabled list all but definitively rules out a trade of Iglesias, who otherwise made sense as a logical addition for a contender looking to bolster its infield defense. The 28-year-old Iglesias is a free agent at season’s end, so the Tigers now stand to lose him without any form of compensation. That’s not necessarily for a lack of effort on their part, however; Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press wrote today that the Tigers have had their shortstop on the trade block “for the better part of two seasons” and simply haven’t matched up with another club.
Iglesias has never been a huge threat at the plate, but this season’s .269/.310/.389 slash line was at least an improvement over his 2016-17 results. Iglesias’ calling card has long been his glovework and baserunning, anyhow, though defensive metrics are more split on his level of excellence. Defensive Runs Saved pegs Iglesias at a quality +7 mark over the past three seasons, for instance, while Ultimate Zone Rating pegs him as an elite defender (+29.2 runs above average). Iglesias has also swiped 15 bags in 21 tries this season and has generally graded out as an above-average baserunner.
As Fenech notes in his previously mentioned piece, it’s at least possible that the Tigers will look to bring the defensive stalwart back to Detroit. The organization doesn’t have an heir apparent at shortstop with the possible exception of Dixon Machado, though the fact that he was designated for assignment and outrighted off the 40-man roster earlier this season is all the indication one needs to glean that he’s viewed at best as a possible option rather than a definitive successor.