Detroit Tigers Suffer Small Drop in MLB Farm System Rankings
The Detroit Tigers were one of the few teams in baseball dead set on being sellers ahead of the 2024 MLB trade deadline. They did a solid job of turning players on expiring contracts into long-term assets in the way of prospects.
Left-handed reliever Andrew Chafin, starting pitcher Jack Flaherty, outfielder/first baseman Mark Canha and catcher Carson Kelly were all traded. Their biggest move was a trade that didn’t occur, as they opted to hold onto ace starter Tarik Skubal.
That decision could give a hint into what the Tigers’ front office is planning for the future. By keeping Skubal, it signals they want to start pushing for playoff spots sooner rather than later.
This upcoming offseason is going to be a big one for the franchise. There are some great young pieces in place as the foundation. It is time to start developing upon that, whether it be signing free agents or making a splash in a trade.
If Detroit goes the trade route, they have the assets to pull off a blockbuster. Over at ESPN, Kiley McDaniel shared his updated farm system ranks following the 2024 MLB draft and trade deadlines.
The Tigers have a strong system in place coming in at No. 6. That is a small drop from where they stood entering the season, as they came in at No. 3. A few MLB promotions contributed to that, as Detroit could be back in the top three in no time with the prospect additions they made.
“The Tigers have fallen a bit due to graduations from Colt Keith and Parker Meadows, but they have the talent to jump back into the top three in short order. They added Bryce Rainer in the draft, who goes straight into the middle of the Top 100 and could be a top-10 overall prospect at some point. My pick to click in the 2023 draft, Kevin McGonigle, has done just that, hitting his way to High-A as a teenager with more walks than strikeouts while showing the potential to shoot up the Top 100 when he's in the upper levels. It goes without saying that Max Clark could also be a top-10 prospect in the game in the near future. Adding Thayron Liranzo and Trey Sweeney in the Jack Flaherty deal and Ethan Schiefelbein in the second round of the draft give them another set of players I expect will move up my list in the coming year,” McDaniel wrote.
As things currently stand, the Tigers farm system has a valuation of $272 million. McDaniel shared those numbers based on data shared by Craig Edwards of FanGraphs projecting how much each player is expected to earn based on historical examples.
Coming into the season, Detroit had a valuation of $318 million, as the projections are kind to Colt Keith and Parker Meadows. Right now, the top prospect in the team’s farm system is starting pitcher Jackson Jobe.
The only teams ahead of the Tigers are the Washington Nationals, Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles. The Nationals, Twins, Dodgers and Rays all moved up at least five spots from their preseason ranking, while the Orioles were first then and remain in that spot.
Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.