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The Detroit Tigers Have Some Roster Holes

The Detroit Tigers haven’t made a deadline trade in 2024. But they almost certainly will soon.

We don’t think they’ll move Tarik Skubal. But they probably trade Jack Flaherty. And they have a handful of other players who might fill a role for contenders.

But what happens to the Detroit Tigers if and when they move their big leaguers? They are already running with a three-man starting rotation. They have three different outfielders on the injured list. Bligh Madris was just added to the 40-man roster and he’s seeing regular playing time.

In short, the roster is a mess. So let’s make it messier.

If the Detroit Tigers Trade a Starting Pitcher

Again, this is much more likely to be Flaherty than Skubal. But either way, the Tigers are in a world of hurt. Casey Mize and Reese Olson are at least 3-4 weeks from returning to action. Kenta Maeda has been banished to the bullpen after posting a 7.26 ERA as a starter. Keider Montero is having typical rookie ups and downs.

And there doesn’t seem to be an obvious answer in the minors. Matt Manning is injured and probably out for the year. Ty Madden is having an awful year, and things don’t appear to be getting better. He has thrown nearly 50 innings with the Mud Hens, and his ERA is still over 9.

Brant Hurter has struggled for most of the year, so he isn’t an ideal option. However, he IS coming off his best start of the season. He tossed seven scoreless innings against Louisville, allowing just one hit while striking out six.

Their best choice would probably be Lael Lockhart, who has been stellar for the Mud Hens in July. He owns a 1.33 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 20.1 innings this month, and he’s holding opposing hitters to a .129 batting average and a .447 OPS.

After Lockhart the Tigers are looking at Brenan Hanifee and Bryan Sammons. Of course, they could always reach down to Erie and call up Jackson Jobe. But that doesn’t seem likely.

If the Detroit Tigers Trade a Reliever

Yikes, this is tough. Andrew Chafin is likely the best trade chip here, but Shelby Miller, Will Vest, and even Jason Foley could all be traded.

The trouble is, the Tigers literally don’t have a single healthy replacement reliever on their 40-man roster. Mason Englert, Wilmer Flores, and Brendan White are all currently on the injured list. Alex Lange and Tyler Mattison are out for the year.

Sean Guenther is probably the best left-handed option, with his 3.80 ERA over 42.2 innings. Andrew Magno, Andrew Vazquez, and PJ Poulin are the other southpaws in Toledo right now. But they have a combined 6.33 ERA.

The top right-handed options are former Tigers Miguel Diaz and Garrett Hill. After them it’s changeup specialist Devin Sweet, and system newcomers Austin Schulfer and Eli Villalobos. Schulfer has a vaguely interesting pitch mix, but his numbers in Toledo are ugly. Meanwhile, Villalobos has given up seven runs in two innings.

Your guess is as good as ours.

If the Tigers Trade an Outfielder

Well, this one isn’t quite so bad. The outfielder in question here would be Mark Canha, and the Tigers seem fairly well suited to replace him. Parker Meadows is playing his first rehab game today. Riley Greene probably won’t be out for too long. And even Kerry Carpenter could be back before the end of August.

If they need an immediate outfield replacement, Akil Baddoo is still healthy and playing in Toledo. Ryan Kreidler has played a little outfield in his career. And the same goes for Eddys Leonard, who is rehabbing his way through the system at the moment,

Non 40-man options are a little limited. Justice Bigbie isn’t having a great season, but he could theoretically get the call. Andrew Navigato IS having a good season, and he does have some outfield experience. But he’s really more of a natural infielder. Speaking of which…

If the Tigers Trade an Infielder

It seems unlikely this happens, but Gio Urshela and Andy Ibanez could theoretically get moved in small deals. The Tigers are in decent shape on the infield in terms of bodies. Not so much in terms of talent, but that’s a problem for the offseason.

Kreidler would likely be the first call-up, though he has struggled a great deal in his previous chances. They could pivot to Navigato, who can play just about anywhere, and has been an above-average offensive player since 2022. Spencer Torkelson exists.

And then there’s Jace Jung. He’s not on the 40-man roster, and he’s not a viable third baseman. And there are also some underlying issues in his swing data. But he owns a .971 OPS since June 1st, with 15 extra-base hits (7 home runs) and more walks than strikeouts. If the Detroit Tigers think he’s a part of their future, now may be the time to get him a look at big-league pitching.

If the Tigers Trade a Catcher

Finally, an easy answer. The Tigers will probably trade Carson Kelly if someone comes calling. They could even trade Jake Rogers if the situation is right. And they have Dillon Dingler waiting in the wings.

Dingler’s return to offensive form (Dinglaissance?) has been one of the most encouraging stories in Detroit’s system this year. He’ll surely struggle in the big leagues, as all young players do. But his defense has never been a question, and he has been one of the best hitters in the International League this year.

Dillon Dingler with a well-deserved day off today. Dingler’s last 5 games:
10-for-19, 5HR, 2 2B, 7R, 10RBI, 5BB/3K pic.twitter.com/5wGn203eTC

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) July 28, 2024

Perhaps the Tigers will acquire some MLB-ready players in their trades. They could definitely use them. But for now, these are our best guesses.