Should Detroit Tigers Trade For Multi-Time All-Star This Offseason?
What takes place this winter for the Detroit Tigers will be telling.
There were some rumors throughout the year that the ownership group and front office were ready to come out of this prolonged rebuild and start competing in their division again.
That was before the roster full of star youngsters and top prospect put together a magical run into the Wild Card round of the playoffs that resulted in them coming up one win short of competing in the American League Championship Series.
All of a sudden, the Tigers appear to be closer to contending than they've been in a while.
Now, there is real pressure on ownership and the front office to make the requisite improvements that would allow this group to compete.
Detroit has been featured in a few different rumors this offseason, but nothing has come to fruition.
A blockbuster deal for the Tigers would be to sign Alex Bregman, bringing in one of the best third baseman in the game who would boost the entire profile of this lineup and roster.
Another option they could pursue is trading for Nolan Arenado, the elite third baseman who is being shopped by the St. Louis Cardinals as they start slashing payroll with their eye on starting their own rebuild.
On paper, he would provide exactly what Detroit would want.
Arenado brings elite defense to the hot corner with 10 Gold Gloves and six Platinum Gloves, while also taking home five Silver Slugger awards and being named to the All-Star team eight times.
His leadership and experience would be great for this young group of players, and putting together a trade package to acquire him would ensure he is on their roster instead of potentially being burned by Bregman going elsewhere.
Any third base addition comes with some hesitation considering one of their top prospects, Jace Jung, was just called up for the first time this past campaign and showed some promise with a .241/.362/.304 slash line across his 34 games.
Spending the amount of money it would take to land Bregman would certainly stunt the growth of Jung and make him expendable, something the Tigers are likely factoring in, but some new information coming out regarding Arenado could make him an even better option for them.
"Now, as the Cardinals shift directions and contemplate trading Arenado, the 10-time Gold Glove-winning third baseman is willing to play first base, or at least less at third, to create roster flexibility for a potential new team, league sources briefed on his situation say," reports Katie Woo of The Athletic.
That's interesting.
Detroit has a huge question mark at first base.
They'd love their former No. 1 overall prospect, Spencer Torkelson, to become the guy they envisioned when they took him first in the 2020 draft, but his inconsistencies have made hit hard to project his ceiling.
If Arenado is willing to play some first base, that would allow the team to continue utilizing Jung at third and Torkelson at first in some different rotations, giving the front office a better idea on how these two youngsters might look going forward.
There has been no indication the Tigers are interested in making a trade for the eight-time All-Star Arenado, but it should be an option they consider.
