MLB Personnel Urge Detroit Tigers to Subtract Ahead of MLB Deadline
The Detroit Tigers are one team that many people are paying attention to ahead of the 2024 MLB trade deadline. They are going to play a major part in the playoff race, even if they aren’t going to be qualifying themselves.
That is because the Tigers have so many players being mentioned in trade rumors. The biggest name involved in those rumors is their ace starting pitcher, Tarik Skubal.
Skubal has proven that he has top-of-the-line stuff this season. He is the kind of player you want to have in your rotation come October as he can go toe-to-toe with the best of them.
Over at ESPN, a panel of executives and scouts was put together to opine about some of the franchises who have to choose a direction to go ahead of the deadline. Detroit was one of them, and the panel was split on what to do with Skubal.
"That guy can pitch in any situation," one executive said. "You could send him to a small or big market and I think he'd have success. I think the Tigers can do well for him."
The Tigers would receive an incredible haul in return for Skubal. But, is trading their ace really worth it?
The panel believes that Detroit is heading in the right direction and he is a big part of that. Moving Skubal for prospects and hoping someone becomes as good as him could set them back.
"Detroit isn't quite ready for prime time, in my opinion," one rival scout said. "They seem to be building something there, but moving any pending free agents would be my path."
The trade pending free agents is something that the entire panel could agree on. A firesale shouldn’t occur for the Tigers, but they have some veterans with value on the trade market they should cash in on.
Subtracting, within reason, is the verdict the panel came to. That means trading players such as Jack Flaherty, Mark Canha and Andrew Chafin.
"It's not one move but a set of them that add up to a big deadline," one NL scout said. "Trade every single one that isn't under team control. [Mark] Canha, Flaherty, [Andrew] Chafin. Whoever. Detroit could be a sleeping giant in a year or two. They need to keep loading up."
Canha is a good fit for a contender given the versatility he brings. He can play the corner outfield spots and first base and is a top-half-of-the-order hitter.
Chafin is in his second tenure with the Tigers and will be a popular name ahead of the deadline. Teams are always looking for bullpen help, and being a lefty will enlarge his market as teams look for specific upgrades.
Out of the veterans, Flaherty is who Detroit can get the most in return for. He is having a magnificent season, bouncing back after a tough 2023 with the St. Louis Cardinals and Baltimore Orioles.
Flaherty owns an impressive 2.95 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 106.2 innings. His strikeout rate is up again with 133, and he could be the best starting pitcher on the move if Skubal is held onto and the Chicago White Sox changes their mind about Garrett Crochet.
KENNETH TEAPE
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.