Tigers Fan Favorite Slugger Continues Concerning Struggles at Plate
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The Detroit Tigers are trying to put themselves in a position where they have the best roster possible heading into October, and as result, major moves could be made at the trade deadline.
Though the record and likely buying status has led to most of the rumors revolving around big names coming in, the Tigers have to be considering who they may be wanting to part ways with as well.
When building a championship roster, difficult decisions have to be made, and Detroit may have exactly that on their hands as one of their most important players continues to struggle.
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It's been a rough go of it for over a month now for slugging outfielder/designated hitter Kerry Carpenter, but things seem to be getting worse rather than better.
Carpenter went 0-for-5 on Thursday night including a 10th inning strikeout which was not a competitive at-bat by any means. He also has not recorded a hit in over a week, an alarming sign.
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As a non-everyday starter who struggles to hit against lefties, Carpenter's job is to hit for power when he is in the lineup.
He just is not doing that right now.
His slash line has dropped all the way to .254/.286/.467, and the last month is even uglier.
Over the last 30 days (24 games), the 29-year-old is slashing .189/.231/.365, and though he has three home runs and five RBI in that period, they all came in the same game against the Chicago White Sox at the start of the month.
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Outside of that one outlier, Carpenter simply is not performing as of late.
In terms of a potential trade, his value is about as low right now as it's ever been, but he would still fetch some sort of return which, even in a worse-case, would shake things up.
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The Tigers very well could hold onto him and try to address other areas at the trade deadline, but it's getting to a point where a five-alarm fire should be going off within the front office.
If Carpenter does not turn things around quickly over the next couple of weeks, Detroit certainly could look to replace him in the lineup as the trade deadline approaches.
Regardless if that happens or not, the struggles from Carpenter are extremely concerning and something that needs to be monitored very closely as the dog days of summer start to approach.
For more Tigers news, head over to Tigers On SI.
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.