Detroit Tigers Should Pursue Trade For St. Louis Cardinals Ace
Nobody involved with the Detroit Tigers are thinking about the upcoming offseason right now.
Not after they just ended the American League record of the Houston Astros when they swept them out of the Wild Card round in suffocating fashion where they showcased dominant pitching and timely hitting.
This Tigers team has a different feel to it, evident by them getting hot at just the right time to get into the playoffs and beat a modern day dynasty to advance to the ALDS for the first time since 2014.
Manager A.J. Hinch gave a preview of what was going to happen in their Wild Card series, throwing their ace Tarik Skubal in the opener followed by a bullpen game that featured many of their top relievers.
It worked to perfection, but the question is if that will be sustainable.
Detroit will be tested against the high-powered offense of the Cleveland Guardians, and there's a chance their pitching staff is pushed to the brink in this best-of-five series where their bullpen arms will be called upon often.
Maybe it does work, and Hinch is able to push all the right buttons so his team gets back into the ALCS for the first time since 2013, but even if that takes place, this rotation strategy is not sustainable heading into 2025.
The Tigers need to add another top-of-the-line arm to their starting staff.
Behind Skubal, there are largely unproven pitchers in the mix with former top prospects Keider Montero and Casey Mize, current star prospect Jackson Jobe, and soon-to-be third-year starter Reese Olson.
Detroit has to pursue an established guy while their young arms continue to develop, and there might be the perfect option out there this winter.
According to John Denton of MLB.com, the St. Louis Cardinals could be looking to sell off their veteran stars this offseason after they announced a change in leadership following the 2025 season where Chaim Bloom will take over for John Mozeliak.
"Much of Mozeliak's responsibilities in the coming months will be helping the Cardinals trim some of their payroll and long-term contracts via trades as they shift their focus more toward their young core of players. Highly paid veterans such as Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras and Ryan Helsley could be moved," he reported.
Sonny Gray would be a perfect addition for the Tigers.
The veteran signed a three-year, $75 million contract with the Cardinals this past offseason, and if he's traded, there would be $60 million left on the deal with a club option for 2027.
He would not only be a formidable starter behind Skubal, but his experience would go a long way in helping this young group grow during the early parts of their careers.
Before inking his contract with St. Louis, Gray put together two elite years with the Minnesota Twins where he had a 2.90 ERA across his 56 starts and 303.2 innings pitched with 300 strikeouts compared to only 91 walks.
While the right-hander didn't have that type of output with the Cardinals this season, he still put up a 3.84 ERA and 109 ERA+ with the second-highest K/9 ratio of his career.
Gray has gas left in the tank, and he could do that for Detroit if they put together a trade package to acquire him this winter.
