With the offseason hot stove doused by the current Major League Baseball lockout, there is plenty of anticipation from fans on what could happen when trades and free agent signings begin again. Could a trade between the Detroit Tigers and Oakland A’s be a possibility after the lockout ends?
On paper, this trade proposal between the Oakland A’s and the Detroit Tigers makes a lot of sense for both teams
In an article for The Athletic (subscription required), Jim Bowden evaluated trade proposals which have been submitted by fans. Among the trade ideas given to Bowden is one that has the Oakland A’s sending third baseman Matt Chapman to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect Jackson Jobe and third baseman Jeimer Candelario.
Chapman will be one of the most sought-after trade pieces once the lockout ends, including the New York Yankees potentially looking at moving him from third base to shortstop. However, if the Tigers could add him (and his two years of team control) in a swap this offseason to go along with free agent signing Javier Baez, Detroit could take another big step toward boosting its lineup by adding another key piece to a rebuilt left side of the infield.
Acquiring Chapman would also ensure that Spencer Torkelson is secure to focus on first base, where he has been dubbed as Detroit’s face of the future at the position.
Of course, Chapman’s acquisition will not come cheap, and that’s where the Tigers will have to give up a high-ranking prospect. Jobe, taken with the third overall pick in last year’s draft, is also the third-ranked prospect in Detroit’s farm system. Just 19 years old, Jobe is considered one of the top pitching prospects in all of minor league baseball thanks to what has been described as a “wipeout slider” as well as good command of his fastball.
You can read more about Jobe here.
However, he is a prospect and not a proven MLB pitcher … yet. That’s where the Tigers would have to decide if parting with him would be worth moving their contention window up further with the acquisition of Chapman, a three-time Gold Glove winner who has a pair of top seven AL MVP finishes to his credit as well.
Detroit would also have to part with Candelario, who led all of MLB in 2021 with 42 doubles as part of his .271/.351/.443 slash line. The 28-year-old Candelario also has two years of team control with him, so Oakland would have a third baseman for the near future as well.
If Oakland is going to undergo a rebuild, having a pitcher of the future and a team-controlled third baseman to start that process would be important. If Detroit is going to make another splash after the lockout, landing a presence like Chapman at the plate and in the field would make the Tigers even stronger in an American League Central that was down in 2021.
Sure, it’s just a trade suggestion, but it’s one that certainly has benefits for both sides.
What do you think of the proposal? Would you make it happen if you were the Tigers or A’s? Let us know in the comments section below.