Tigers Seen As a Fit For Blockbuster Trade for Top Available Third Baseman
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The Detroit Tigers are suddenly the best team in baseball after a start which has been the stuff of dreams.
With pitching that has kept them in every game and sudden resurgences from hitters who looked to be nearing the end over the first quarter of the season, Detroit all of the sudden looks the part of a real World Series contender.
There is a weakness however, and the hole at third base was magnified this week against the Boston Red Sox by Alex Bregman seemingly hitting everything he saw after spurning the Tigers in free agency.
If Detroit wants to make a splash in the trade market, Nolan Arenado will be available at the deadline from the St. Louis Cardinals.
One major baseball insider in Jon Heyman believes Arenado should be bound to the Motor City and gave some reason as to why this week:
Nolan Arenado to the Tigers? 🤔 @JonHeyman likes the sound of it pic.twitter.com/JZIcgdf3OP
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) May 14, 2025
"I've got Arenado to the Tigers," Heyman predicted. "They're not getting much out of third base, St. Louis would trade with them easier than the Cubs, I don't see the Yankees spending that money...Tigers could use a little more veteran presence I think...I'd like to see Nolan Arenado join the Tigers."
Would Trading for Arenado Even Make Sense for the Detroit Tigers?
The allure of having a veteran player who has been one of the best defensive third basemen of his generation along with a talented hitter is intriguing, but does Detroit need to make a splash like this?
Matt Vierling looks to be on the cusp of making a return, and while he's not necessarily an every day third baseman, he is more than capable of being one.
Offensively, Vierling and Arenado are comparable players at this point in Arenado's career and Vierling was actually better last season in terms of OPS and WAR.
Arenado is currently slashing .253/.335/.396 this season and the money he would cost as compared to Vierling -- not to mention taking a spot from Vierling -- is a bit tough to justify.
If the Tigers feel Arenado can help them win a championship and potentially be the final piece, then the money is irrelevant.
It is worth asking the question how much he actually adds to the team versus addressing needs elsewhere.
Detroit has other needs, and if they make one big splash at the deadline, it should be for some high leverage reliever help rather than dumping money and prospects into a player whose best days are clearly behind him.
The allure and star power of Arenado are intriguing, but the Tigers will be better served looking elsewhere when the deadline rolls around.
Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.