Detroit Tigers: Justin Verlander trade now a possibility?

The Detroit Tigers are in fourth place in the AL Central and many suspect that they could become sellers. Is it possible that the Tigers could deal their ace?

The Detroit Tigers have had a disappointing season. Though they have still yet to wave the white flag, GM Al Avila recently spoke of how the team is prepared to at least begin “listening” to offers on players.

On Wednesday, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports wrote of how ace starter Justin Verlander may soon find himself on the market. According to Passan, “multiple front-office sources” claim that Verlander could be on the trading block within two weeks’ time.

Verlander, who is the only member of the 2006 AL championship team that is still on the Tigers, has been an enormous part of the organization for over a decade. He won the Rookie of the Year in 2006 and later had a historically good season in 2011, winning both the AL Cy Young and AL MVP.

Decline and injuries

After finishing second in the AL Cy Young voting and leading Detroit to another World Series in 2012, Verlander and the Tigers agreed to a large contract extension prior to the beginning of the 2013 season. However, by his standards, Verlander had a bit of an off-year in 2013, going 13-12 with a 3.46 ERA (120 ERA+) and a 1.31 WHIP.  He bounced back to have an excellent postseason that year, but it was later announced that he had undergone core muscle surgery over the offseason.

In 2014, Verlander had a winning record of 15-12, but posted a bloated 4.54 ERA (85 ERA+) and a 1.40 WHIP. At that point, many were convinced that his career was in decline. The following season, Verlander was kept on the sidelines until June with a triceps injury. However, he showed shades of his former self upon returning, pitching to the tune of a 3.38 ERA (118 ERA+) over 133.1 innings. Moreover, he also had a game in which he nearly no-hit the Los Angeles Angels, which would have been the third no-hitter of his career.

Rebound season

In 2016, the Verlander of old finally returned. He went 16-9 with a 3.04 ERA (136 ERA+) and an AL-best 1.00 WHIP. He also struck out 254 batters over 227.2 innings, which marked the fourth time he had led the American League in Ks. Verlander later earned another second-place finish in the AL Cy Young voting, finishing behind only former teammate Rick Porcello.

So far in 2017, however, Verlander hasn’t quite been able to pick up where he left off. Though his velocity has remained strong (average fastball of 95.52 mph, according to Brooks Baseball), he has gone just 5-4 with a 4.47 ERA (97 ERA+) and a 1.45 WHIP. He also has an unsightly 4.18 BB/9.

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Could Dodgers still have interest?

If Verlander indeed finds himself on the trading block, many fans have speculated that the Los Angeles Dodgers could be an interesting fit for the 34-year-old right-hander. Over the offseason, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reported that the Dodgers had at least checked in on Verlander this past winter.

The Dodgers’ rotation, which is led by ace Clayton Kershaw, is currently second in MLB with a 3.48 ERA. A vintage version of Verlander could make their starting staff even better.

Will a deal happen?

In order for a deal to actually happen, Verlander’s approval would be required. The six-time All-Star has 10-and-5 rights, meaning that he has full no-trade protection and could veto a deal to any team. However, Lynn Henning of The Detroit News believes that Verlander would accept a trade to a contender.

There is also the issue of his contract, with Verlander being owed $56 million over the next two seasons. He also has a $22 million vesting option for 2020, per Baseball-Reference.

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Though his remaining salary should be relatively manageable for a big market club, it is still a big commitment, especially for a pitcher who hasn’t been having his best year. He may need to run off a few quality starts in a row to increase value and interest. While it does now appear to be a possibility that Verlander could be moved, it also appears that the stars may have to line up in order for a deal to actually take place.