MLB Trade Deadline: The ultimate 30-team trade
25. Detroit Tigers
Longtime ace Justin Verlander is an institution in Detroit, but if the Tigers have an opportunity to add a left-handed power bat like Schwarber’s to the lineup, the club should jump at the opportunity.
And should Verlander go, the rest of the roster core would likely be up for grabs as well. Ian Kinsler would add a veteran presence to the clubhouse in Milwaukee, and could help the Brewers at the top of the lineup as well. However, if the Brewers acquire Gray, they may be unwilling to pony up for Kinsler, whose contract includes a team option for 2018, making him costlier than a rental.
As for other Tigers likely to move, expect the Seattle Mariners to have interest in Alex Avila. Entering the week, the Mariners ranked No. 19 in the majors in Wins Above Replacement (0.9 fWAR) among catchers. Seattle catchers have hit .215/.288/.403 with 15 home runs and 47 RBI while striking out 35.2 percent of the time – the highest strikeout rate in the big leagues at the position.
The Mariners have also struggled at first base. Seattle first basemen rank 27th in the big leagues in fWAR (-0.4) and have hit .249/.314/.394 with just 12 home runs (second fewest in the majors) and 51 RBI. Avila has hit .282/.406/.495
Furthermore, Justin Upton is one of the biggest names potentially on the market ahead of the MLB trade deadline, and the Mariners would be a good fit to add the 29-year-old slugger given Seattle’s lack of power in the outfield.
We’ll call for Detroit to send Avila and Upton to Seattle for a solid group of prospects, including top prospect Kyle Lewis. The Tigers would later flip Dyson, an impending free agent, to another club.