Detroit Tigers: Three trade chips for 2021

Jonathan Schoop, 2B

Jonathan Schoop is one of the best trade chips currently in the Tigers organization. He is on a cheap contract (1 year, $4.5 million), provides good pop (27 home run average over 162 games), and is able to play first base, second base, and shortstop. Schoop would be a solid addition for a team looking to make a push to the playoffs. He could provide a bit of power off the bench and some versatility in the middle infield and at first. Schoop is a solid insurance policy at a cheap rate.

Adding to Schoop’s value is his ability to take on a new position and play it at a major league level. For the first time, Schoop has played first base. In fact, he has made the majority of his starts at first base (34 starts) instead of his regular middle infield positions (18 starts at second base).

His return may not be much and to maximize the return, Avila may need to get creative and add in some other pieces to ensure he is getting a long-term piece back for the current rebuild. It would be devoid of reason to trade Schoop without getting a piece back that could help for a year or two to come. Avila may be looking for a mid-round relief pitcher with a high ceiling in exchange for Schoop.

Something to keep an eye on is Schoop’s left hand soreness. The left hand soreness kept him out of Sunday’s game after being hit by a pitch on Saturday. It was, most likely, just an extra day off for Schoop to rehab the hand before placing him back at first base.

Jose Cisnero, RP

This righty reliever will be arbitration eligible for the first time in 2022 and will not reach free agency until 2024. Over the last two years, Jose Cisnero has taken some positive steps to turn himself into a serviceable reliever for a contending team. This is after posting three seasons of a plus 4.00 ERA, including a 9.64 ERA over five games in 2014.

In the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Cisnero’s ERA+ jumped from 110 in 2019 to 152 in 2020. One of the reasons Cisnero has seen additional success in the last few seasons is because he has maximized his strikeouts and improved his walk ratio. From his debut with the Houston Astros in 2013, Cisneros began with a 8.45 K/9 and 4.53 BB/9.

Thus far, in 2021, Cisneros has a K/9 ratio of 11.81 (career high) and a 3.38 B/9 (would be second lowest of career if season ended today). His four seam fastball has also gained a little over three miles per hour velocity since 2013.

Cisnero features a 96.8 mile per hour fastball, 88.1 mile per hour slider, and a 91 mile per hour changeup. Most of the time (58.5 percent), Cisnero is firing his mid 90s fastball at the batter. 34 percent of the time, Cisnero is throwing his slider and throwing a sub-par changeup about seven percent of the time. Cisnero has seen a drop in swinging strikes (14.8 percent last year compared to 10.1 percent this year) but, interestingly, his called strikes have increased over five percentage points from last year (13.3 to 18.8 percent).

At the very least, the righty reliever has had enormous success against lefties, going against the results of his career. Cisnero has held left handed batters to a .189/.325/.216 slash line compared to his career numbers of .263/.384/.397; an interesting comparison that is worth taking a shot on.

Matthew Boyd, P

The 30-year-old starter is having one of the, if not the, best season of his career so far. Currently playing for a respectable $6.5 million, Matthew Boyd will have one more year of arbitration before being eligible for free agency. Boyd struggled mightily in 2020 contributing to the lowest ERA+ of his career since his 2015 rookie season.

Prior to 2020, Boyd spent two seasons as an average starting pitcher with a penchant for giving up the long ball. Thus far, Boyd has limited home runs dramatically (0.8 HR/9 compared to 2.2 HR/9 in 2020) and his improved control and increased strikeouts have all contributed to his new found success in Detroit. This makes him a perfect trade chip for the Tigers in order to get some serviceable pieces back into their organization.

Boyd, with his 1.4 WAR, could go to a team needing a solid innings eater and who could prove to be a serviceable third starter. Boyd has limited use of his four seam fastball while increasing usage of his sinker and changeup. In 2019 and 2020, Boyd threw his fastball about 49 percent of the time compared with 41 percent of the time in 2021. Boyd’s sinker usage increased about three percent and his changeup usage increased almost 5 percent since last year contributing to his limited home runs allowed and his overall success.

Boyd, at his age and with his contract situation, will be an enticing trade chip for Avila and the Tigers. Boyd could provide a contending team with that much needed third starter at a reasonable price coupled with the fact he can be controlled for at least one more year. This would make it more than worth it for a team to inquire about him.