Shocking Trade Idea Would See Detroit Tigers Move on From Former Top Prospect
The Detroit Tigers are moving onto the offseason where they will attempt to improve and upgrade at positions that desperately need it following their epic run to the postseason down the stretch.
After proving to ownership that the current roster is good enough to compete, the decision makers in the building will likely look to be more aggressive in the quest to help the team compete for a championship sooner rather than later. While there were tons of issues on the roster that put Detroit in a spot where they had to become the hottest team in baseball over the last month to make the playoffs, a few stand out above the others.
Starting pitching behind Tarik Skubal was a cause for concern as was the level of power in the lineup, but by far the biggest issues were the corner infield spots. Third base will have to be addressed after a disastrous season for the Tigers at the hot corner, but Spencer Torkelson's sudden and severe regression at first caused an absolute black hole in the lineup as he looked simply lost down the stretch.
The 2020 No. 1 overall pick had a dreadful season in 2024, his third in the league.
As the idea of moving on from him has gained steam, Roger Castillo of FanSided proposed a deal that saw Torkelson shipped out of town along with Peyton Graham to Pittsburgh in return for prospects Billy Cook and Dominic Perachi.
"At first glance, for those who pay attention to prospects, it looks like an underwhelming return for the former first overall pick, but looking at how the Tigers are building their team, it would make sense," Castillo wrote. "Right-handed hitting Billy Cook, who the Pirates picked up from Baltimore, has power, hitting 24 home runs at Double-A in 2023, and showed the ability to get on-base, posting a 123 wRC+ for Triple-A Norfolk and a 130 mark post-trade in Indianapolis."
Regardless of what the return is and from where, it seems like Torkelson's time in Detroit is running out. It wouldn't be a shock to see the team hold onto him going into 2025, but not at the very least adding someone to challenge him and potentially take over would be team building malpractice.
With tons of quality first baseman available including Christian Walker and Pete Alonso, there's no reason for the Tigers to hesitate in moving Torkelson if they feel the price is right.
