MLB Trade Rumors: Keep an eye on these early candidates

Gone are the days of vintage Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander carrying the Detroit Tigers to the postseason year after year. Cabrera is still with the Tigers, but he’s 34 years old and looks to be on the decline. He’s a near lock to be inducted into the Hall of Fame when he calls it a career, but his best days appear to be behind him. Justin Verlander is still pitching like a maniac, but he’s doing it for the Houston Astros now.

Enter Michael Fulmer, one of the Tigers’ few young major league players with any kind of significant value. Prized third baseman Jeimer Candelario likely isn’t going anywhere. Fulmer, on the other hand, is going to be getting a lot of attention from pitching-deprived teams this summer.

Ideally, Fulmer would have been a player to build around during these rough stretches in Detroit. But quality, young, cost-controlled starters are few and far between in this league. And the Tigers are likely going to get some offers that will be hard to turn down. If they decide to take the initiative and shop him at some point, they’ll be able to slap a pretty hefty price tag on the 25-year-old right-hander.

The 2016 AL rookie of the year and 2017 all-star currently owns a 3.47 ERA in his young career. He’s not a strikeout pitcher, but his command can be top-notch. When he’s on his game, he’s not walking many batters. And that’s extremely valuable.

Believe it or not, the Houston Astros might still have a strong enough farm system to pull off a trade for Fulmer. Their rotation is already very good, but a lot can happen between now and July. And should they lose one of their starters, they’re not going to postpone an October push. The Los Angeles Dodgers come to mind as well. After Clayton Kershaw, the reliability and durability of their rotation is a bit cloudy.