Former MLB GM Says Detroit Tigers Got 'Awful' Return for Star Pitcher
With the trade deadline now officially in the past, the biggest move might have been what didn't take place as the Detroit Tigers held onto their ace Tarik Skubal despite there seemingly being multiple teams interested in acquiring him.
It's easy to say that contenders wanted him, especially since he's the AL Cy Young frontrunner at this point and has two more years of club control. But it's another thing to actually workshop a deal to get something done.
The Tigers ultimately had no interest in dealing the superstar, making the right move to hold onto him.
Instead of prolonging their rebuild, they decided to get back what they could by trading their most moveable pieces to contending teams.
Andrew Chafin, Mark Canha, and Jack Flaherty were all moved, allowing Detroit to recuperate some assets in this seller's market that saw inflated returns get sent to to those who were willing to ship out their current Major League crop.
But just because the Tigers were able to offload this trio, doesn't mean they did a great job.
Former general manager Jim Bowden was critical of what they got back for Flaherty who, outside of Skubal, was their most attractive trade chip.
"Their trade return for Jack Flaherty was awful. They just didn't get enough back in the deal and perhaps waiting until the last minute hurt them ... It was stunning to see the haul the Blue Jays got for Yusei Kikuchi, which was miles better than what the Tigers got for Flaherty, who was the best starting pitcher traded at the deadline," he wrote for The Athletic when handing them a D grade.
When looking at what the Houston Astros gave up to get Yusei Kikuchi, it's hard not to be critical of what Detroit got back for Flaherty.
The Toronto Blue Jays got three Major League-ready prospects, one who has already been called up, and another one who was ranked No. 2 within the Astros' system.
In comparison, the Tigers received catcher Thayron Liranzo and shortstop Trey Sweeney from the Los Angeles Dodgers who were ranked as their No. 3 and No. 26 prospects per Baseball America.
While that seems good on paper, Bowden is considering that an "awful" return when factoring in the market and what lesser players than Flaherty around the league commanded from other teams.
Ultimately they accomplished their goal of getting something back for the upcoming free agent, but it seems like they could have gotten much more than they received for the star pitcher who has resurrected his career this season.
BRAD WAKAI