Tigers Highly-Rated Prospect Named Detroit's Biggest Trade Deadline Candidate
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The Detroit Tigers are starting to come together with an impressive stretch of victories following what was a very slow start to the year.
While things are far from perfect and numerous stars on the team are not performing the way everyone would like to see, a run of winning eight of the last ten will have anyone feeling pretty strongly about where the team stands.
It's safe to say the Tigers are going to be a candidate to buy when the trade deadline rolls around later this summer if they are going to be a true World Series contender, and to get value you also have to give value.
ESPN's David Schoenfield wrote up a candidate to be dealt on each squad, and for Detroit he used top-five prospect Max Anderson coming off what was a very productive 2025 campaign.
Tigers Could Be Likely to Trade Away Max Anderson
"The Tigers don't have glaring holes, although some of their key performers from last year, such as Spencer Torkelson and Zach McKinstry, are off to slow starts and injuries to Justin Verlander and Troy Melton have affected the pitching depth," Schoenfield wrote. "Anderson can hit -- and crushed lefties last year in the minors -- but he's a second baseman with a questionable glove, and the Tigers have plenty of infield options with McKinstry, Kevin McGonigle, Colt Keith, Gleyber Torres andJavier Baez."
Anderson was rock solid in 2025 across both Double-A and Triple-A before breaking out even more in the Arizona Fall League, but at 24 years old and not yet taking that next step, the clock could be ticking for him as a future superstar.
Detroit would love to keep everyone, but unfortunately this is not always realistic and if they want to make a significant deadline move, someone will have to go in order to land a legitimate difference maker.
Tigers Should Be Willing to Trade Someone Like Anderson
If Anderson is able to be the centerpiece of a deal that makes Detroit a much better team with an increased chance of a championship this season, then holding onto him is not going to do a whole lot of good with a crowded infield moving forward.
Obviously, developing prospects is the lifeblood of a franchise, but part of that comes with being willing to improve the current big league club with guys who are still developing. Anderson may one day be a very solid MLB player, but this team can win a World Series this year, and he is not going to be a huge part of that.
If the Tigers are truly buying at the deadline, look for someone like Anderson to be on the move.
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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.