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Detroit Tigers: Three trade chips for 2021

By David Mullen

Jun 9, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Casey Mize (12) throws during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 9, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Casey Mize (12) throws during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jun 9, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Casey Mize (12) throws during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 9, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Casey Mize (12) throws during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

The Detroit Tigers, sitting near the bottom of the American League Central, will be sellers as the 2021 season quickly approaches the halfway point. The Tigers are sitting 15 games behind the division-leading Chicago White Sox.

Unfortunately for the Tigers and others, they do not have much to offer in the way of trade chips like other teams. On the major league roster, the talent just does not exist to offer a smorgasbord of options for other teams to trade for.

Offensively, the Tigers have the second worst on-base percentage in all of baseball, third-worst slugging percentage, and third-worst OPS. They have had the least amount of doubles and are near the absolute bottom in total hits as well. Pitching-wise the Tigers are ranked 24th in total strikeouts, 20th in WHIP, and 18th in ERA+.

All around, the Tigers are an anemic team both offensively and defensively. However, they have a few bright spots that can be traded for in an effort to boost a teams’ run in the playoffs.

You would have to imagine that some players, like Casey Mize, are off limits. Would a Jose Urena or a Matthew Boyd be off limits too? Pitching has always been at a premium. Al Avila could make Urena or Boyd available in an effort to speed up the current rebuilding process going on under his leadership.

The Tigers have a robust farm system headlined by 3B/1B Spencer Torkelson and pitcher Mize. Mize is already on the major league club and with Torkelson being a number one pick, the expectation is he may join Mize in a year or so. The Tigers also have top 10 picks in Matt Manning and Riley Greene still working their way through the farm system.

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