Detroit Tigers left-hander Matthew Boyd is having a breakout season and others are noticing. Will he soon emerge as a trade chip?
At the beginning of the 2018 season, little was expected of the Detroit Tigers. However, the team has been playing pretty decent baseball and currently find themselves sitting in second place in the AL Central. It will be interesting to see what the team will do at the trade deadline.
If the Tigers decide to become sellers, some have wondered if they might be tempted to move ace Michael Fulmer.
In May, Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports reported that teams had shown interest in Francisco Liriano, who is now returning from a stint on the disabled list.
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On Thursday, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reported that the Seattle Mariners are showing interest in Matthew Boyd. Morosi also wrote that the Mariners have shown interest in Boyd in the past as well.
He also describes Boyd as “one of the Tigers’ most coveted players in trade talks.” Boyd is also from Washington, so a trade to the Mariners could be seen as somewhat of a homecoming.
After coming over from the Toronto Blue Jays in the David Price trade in summer of 2015, it took a little bit of time for Boyd to come into his own. From 2015-17, Boyd went a combined 13-22 with a 5.47 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP for the Blue Jays and Tigers.
This season, however, Boyd is having a breakout year. Through 14 starts, Boyd has gone 4-5 with a 3.63 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. He recently had one of his worst outings of the season, however, allowing five earned runs over just four innings of work against the Cincinnati Reds.
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If the Detroit Tigers can get a could deal and bring a few prospects back, then it could very well make sense for them to entertain the idea of trading Matthew Boyd. On the other hand, this season could be a sign that the Tigers’ rebuild is moving along faster than expected. Boyd, who is controllable through the 2022 season, is showing that he might be the type of player the Tigers can build around as well.