Detroit Tigers Slugger Named Top Trade Candidate After Rough Season
The Detroit Tigers' offseason hasn't been bad, but if the front office doesn't make a significant move, it's tough to say they'll find the same success in 2025.
Last year was a step in the right direction for the Tigers, and ultimately, this team is going to be good if their young talent continues to produce at the level it did for parts of the last campaign.
However, if Detroit wants to compete with the top teams in Major League Baseball, it eventually needs to spend.
There are ways for the Tigers to improve their roster this winter, and with young big league talent able to be traded, a top-ranked farm system, and money to spend, they're still in a position to get better.
So much so that Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report ranked them among the teams in the best position to improve their roster heading into spring training.
"Even after the recent one-year, $15M addition of Gleyber Torres, Detroit should have plenty of spending room remaining ... They could go get an Alex Bregman, an Anthony Santander or a Pete Alonso, or they could bring back Jack Flaherty to re-pair with Tarik Skubal. Doing all four isn't plausible, but at least one, possibly two should be within the realm of possibility for Detroit. Moreover, after signing Torres and announcing that he will play second base while Colt Keith moves to first, suddenly 2020 No. 1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson has become a big-time trade chip."
Miller looked at potential trade candidates, naming Spencer Torkelson as the team's top asset.
Moving Torkelson at this stage of his career would be an interesting decision, but it makes sense if Detroit could get a player back in a different position of need.
If he plays at the level he can, he's essentially exactly what the Tigers need.
Detroit lacks right-handed power, and while the former No. 1 overall pick has had his struggles at the big league level, he still blasted 31 home runs in 2023.
If his bat plays at a similar level moving forward, there's reason for optimism.
Trading Torkelson, after the campaign he just had, could mean they're selling low on him.
That isn't always the worst scenario, but the trade package would've looked much different had they moved him a few years ago.
Still, if the plan is to only play him every few days, trading him would be better for the organization if thye are looking to get back immediate improvements.
