3 players the Detroit Tigers should trade now to jump start their rebuild

Schoop is not alone in his struggles as a Detroit hitter, with a .198/.230/.284 slash-line so far this season. He is 7-for-42 over his last 13 games, with 10 strikeouts and two of those hits being home runs.

Schoop has been shifted primarily to first base recently, which is mostly an effort by Hinch to get any viable offense in the lineup. He posted a 116 OPS+ for the Tigers last season, and he hit 23 home runs for the Twins in 2019.

Schoop had a well-timed hot streak to start last season, before fading in the final month (.209/.277/.326 slash-line). That was a sell-high window for the Tigers, then they brought him back on a one-year deal in the offseason. That expiring deal makes the veteran infielder a trade chip, with the hope he gets on a hot streak again to bolster his value.

Since winning AL Rookie of the Year in 2016 and earning an All-Star nod in 2017, it’s been quite a fall for Fulmer. An elbow issue shortened that 2017 campaign (four starts in August), then a knee issue ended his 2018 season (4.69 ERA in 24 starts). Tommy John surgery cost him all of 2019, then he posted an 8.78 ERA in 10 starts last season. With hindsight of course as the perfect perspective, the Tigers really missed cashing in on Fulmer’s peak value back at the 2017 trade deadline.

Through seven appearances so far this season (three starts), Fulmer has a 3.86 ERA with improvement in his K/9 and BB/9 rates and 16 hits allowed over 21 innings. Before a rougher outing in his last outing, two innings out of the bullpen on April 29, he had a 3.32 ERA with 12 hits allowed in 19 innings.

Even if he continues to pitch well, Fulmer has been usurped in the Tigers’ starting rotation pecking order by a pipeline of younger pitchers. He has another year of arbitration eligibility left, somehow, to further bolster his potential trade value. The Tigers should think about showcasing Fulmer in the starting rotation, albeit with fingers certainly crossed.