With the Major League Baseball All-Star break and non-waiver trade deadline rapidly approaching, front offices are beginning to assess whether they should be buyers or sellers over the next four weeks.
One team who is currently in stuck the middle is the Detroit Tigers. They are currently 36-45, eight games back of first place in the American League Central and 5.5 games out of the second Wild Card spot.
The Tigers have the fourth-highest payroll in all of baseball at just under $200 million, so if they do not factor more prominently into the playoff picture in the near future, they could become an intriguing team to watch at the non-waiver deadline.
Of course, the same was believed to be true in previous years and it’s led to little action. Nonetheless, according to Jon Morosi of MLB.com, if the Tigers become sellers they would have interest in Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Alex Verdugo:
If the Tigers decide to sell — and they haven’t made that decision yet — they’d like to come away from the Trade Deadline with their center fielder for 2018. Dodgers prospect Alex Verdugo is among the names on their wish list.
Tigers players whom the Dodgers presumably would have interest in trading for are power-hitting outfielder J.D. Martinez and/or right-hander Justin Verlander. Though, acquiring either of the two may require the Dodgers to part with more top prospects than they’re comfortable with.
That being said, Martinez is set to hit free agency after this season. Verlander, on the other hand, has two more years remaining on his contract after this 2017.
Verdugo was a second-round pick of the Dodgers in 2014, and currently resides with Triple-A Oklahoma City. The 21-year-old can play all three outfield positions and is currently in the midst of a career season.
Through 73 games, Verdugo is hitting .347/.417/.460 with 14 doubles, four triples, three home runs and 38 RBIs. He was recently in the midst of a career-best 20-game hitting streak.
