The American League-leading Detroit Tigers are in unfamiliar territory for the first time this season. The Tigers have lost six straight games, with the latest coming with a 4-1 loss to the Texas Rangers in the second game of a road weekend series.
In the last two losses in particular, the Tigers' offense has compiled a lackluster performance, scoring only one run. After the latest loss, many Tigers fans have begun to hit the panic button on the season despite still holding the best record in the American League at 59-40.
Detroit's recent struggles prove that the Tigers need to be aggressive and make a move at the MLB trade deadline on July 31st, or they may be exposed in the postseason and bow out earlier than expected.
What do the Tigers need to do at the trade deadline?
Detroit's biggest needs at the trade deadline include a right-handed hitter to add to their lineup and relievers to strengthen their bullpen. While the loss of Kerry Carpenter to the IL with a hamstring injury has hurt the Tigers' hitting, Detroit still has multiple hitters they can rely on, and the recent struggles prove that they need to shake things up and acquire another bat.
Possible targets that the Tigers could go after include Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez. The Diamondbacks plan to move Suarez at the deadline, and the Tigers have emerged as a contender to acquire him.
Suarez, who played for the Tigers in 2014, is just the type of player Detroit needs to help their offensive woes and make a postseason run. Suarez ranks in the top five in the MLB in RBIs and home runs this season.
The Tigers have arguably the best farm system in all of baseball and can offer more than any other team in terms of prospects to acquire Suarez.
Tigers need to strengthen their bullpen
Tigers fans know all too well that their bullpen has been the team's downfall in Detroit's postseason runs in the early 2010s. The Tigers are looking to avoid those past mistakes by acquiring reliable relievers at the deadline.
Throughout the Tigers' six-game losing streak, the bullpen has also struggled, giving up close games on two separate occasions against the Seattle Mariners and the Rangers on Friday night.
Potential reliever targets that the Tigers could acquire at the deadline include David Bednar from the Pittsburgh Pirates and Griffin Jax of the Minnesota Twins. Boston Red Sox reliever Aroldis Chapman is another name that has been rumored to land with the Tigers. Given Boston's recent success, though, Chapman may be off the table.
Are the Tigers willing to make a big move?
While many are expecting the Tigers to be buyers at the deadline and make a big move, the question is, will they? Tigers general manager Scott Harris, while it might not seem like it to some, is under intense pressure in his early tenure as GM to make an aggressive move.
Detroit fans are eager to see their baseball team win its first World Series title since 1984, but those dreams only become a reality if the Tigers are willing to be aggressive. For the Tigers, the time to win is now, and that starts with a splash move.