MLB Analyst Projects Tigers Prospects That Could Be Moved at Trade Deadline
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The Detroit Tigers are one of the teams who are surefire buyers just two weeks away from the MLB trade deadline.
Currently owning the best record in baseball at 59-38, there are clear areas of weakness on the roster that the front office will seek to upgrade to help the team remain atop the American League.
In the lineup, third base remains an area of need.
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Javier Baez and Zach McKinstry have both been excellent, being named AL All-Stars, but they are needed elsewhere.
Baez is playing shortstop because of the struggles of Trey Sweeney. McKinstry’s best asset is his versatility and deploying him every day at the hot corner would keep that flexibility in check.
On the mound, the Tigers could really use some help in the bullpen.
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Ideally, they would acquire someone who has late-game and high-leverage experience that is capable of generating whiffs at a high rate.
The duo of Tommy Kahnle and Will Vest has started to show some signs of breaking down ahead of the All-Star break and some reinforcements are needed at the backend of the bullpen.
Fortunately for Detroit, there are always relief pitchers available on the trade market.
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However, it will be interesting to see how close to the top of the market the Tigers front office looks to get.
Kiley McDaniel of ESPN, in a recent piece detailing the changes to each team’s top 10 prospect lists following the 2025 MLB Draft, took a shot at predicting where on their list Detroit will start at to build a trade package.
“I'd guess the prospects in play for potential deadline upgrades start with Lee and go lower down the list, unless the return is a star with years of control,” he wrote.
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McDaniel is referencing third baseman Hao-Yu Lee, who is currently the No. 9 prospect in the Tigers’ organization, dropping from No. 7 as his previous rank.
2025 first-round picks, catcher Michael Oliveto and shortstop Jordan Yost, are both ranked ahead of him currently.
A top-10 prospect should be more than enough as the centerpiece to land some of the top relievers available, such as Aroldis Chapman of the Boston Red Sox or David Bednar and Dennis Santana of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
All three of those relievers would be major upgrades for the Detroit bullpen.
If they want to go higher and longer control, such as with Felix Bautista of the Baltimore Orioles or Mason Miller of the Athletics, a top six prospect would likely be required as part of the trade package.
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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.