The Detroit Tigers made a move for Alex Bregman to fill in at third base. Bregman spurned the Tigers for Boston and left the Tigers with Jace Jung at the hot corner. Putting it lightly, he’s been miserable offensively for the Tigers this year.
Jung is slashing .100/.234.334 this year. Yeah, that’s bad. But the Tigers have a chance to make a trade for a player that could pay off in the long run. The Tigers could target Toronto’s Bo Bichette as a third baseman replacement and drastically improve their offense.
Bichette isn’t having a bad season at all, slashing .281/.330/.386. The Blue Jays have had an offensive issue this year so they may not be interested in swapping a decent hitter for a miserable one, but it’s something they could consider in the long run.
The Tigers have to consider everything as they will need to replace Jung with a better option at some point. They are atop the AL Central division with a 2.5 game lead. Bichette could be the answer.
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The Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers could make a mutually beneficial trade
The Blue Jays could trade Bichette, but it would probably be under two conditions. They either get an incredible package in return they can’t turn down, or decide they don’t want to re-sign Bichette. He becomes an unrestricted free agent after the season so if they don’t plan on bringing him back, it might be worth just dealing him before the trade deadline.
Toronto has a scorching hot prospect that could be quickly working his way through the minors. Ajun Nimmala is currently at High-A Vancouver, but is swinging a hot bat, which could prompt him to move up quickly.
While the Blue Jays have no reason to rush Nimmala, if the Tigers trade for Bichette, it could result in putting Nimmala on the fast track to the MLB squad. But that’s still probably two years out.
The Tigers weren’t able to get Bregman. They can’t miss again if they get the opportunity. Bichette isn’t necessarily the best option, but he could be worth it. Unfortunately, it’s not up to Detroit. It’s up to Toronto to decide if they’re ready to move on from Bichette.