By Louis Addeo-Weiss
As many in Detroit have expected, 2019 looks to be another step in the rebuilding process for the Detroit Tigers.
The team, 25-39, currently sits in 4th place in the American League Central. Their -109 run differential is second worst in the majors, with only the Orioles (-124) boasting a worse mark.
With the trade deadline approaching, the team will find themselves selling off some of their contributing pieces.
The only problem with this Tigers team is that they don’t offer much in the way of major league help that could garner them a substantive return.
Starting pitcher Matthew Boyd has been the most talked in advance of the deadline, as aspiring playoff teams are always looking for ways to upgrade their starting pitching.
Boyd, who is in the midst of a breakout season, currently has a 3.08 ERA across 84.2 innings pitched. His 105 strikeouts are 7th in the American League, and BB9 of 1.6 and SO/W ratio of 7/1 both lead the league respectively.
A team like the Philadelphia Phillies would serve as a match for Boyd and give them a left-handed compliment to a right-handed heavy rotation. The team just recently removed Jered Eickhoff from the rotation after pitching to a 5.04 ERA over 57 innings.
Reliever Shane Greene looks to be moved in advance of the deadline as well.
A former starter, Greene is in the midst of a career year as the Tigers closer. Of the team’s 24 wins, 20 have been saved by Greene, and his ERA of 1 is the best mark of his career.
And as I wrote about earlier in the week, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been plagued by bullpen problems, so they could serve as an adequate match for Greene. His $4M salary for 2019 should attract teams to Greene, as they should only be expected to pay half-that given the time he’d be acquired.
Rookie reliever Nick Ramirez could be attractive to a bevy of teams given his salary and years of control, but the club expects him to be apart of their long-term plans once they get back into contention.
Ramirez is having a stellar rookie season, as noted by a 2.25 ERA, though teams may be scared a bit by his 11 walks in 24 innings.
Right fielder Nicholas Castellanos, who posted a 120 OPS+ from 2016-18, has regressed a tad in 2019, but Detroit expects to move him in advance of free agency. In 62 games played, Castellanos has posted a slash line of .263/.315/.454 and an OPS+ of 101.
Never known for his defense, whether he was playing third base or right field, Castellanos has posted -3 defensive runs saved so far, which could limit Detroit’s options. Long term, his defensive limitations could see him eventually move to a full-time DH spot.
For now, the names listed above serve to provide Detroit the most value in return at the deadline, so they’ll have to bank on the progress of the likes of Casey Mize and Matt Manning.
Across 75.2 innings split between Advanced-A and Double-A, the former Auburn Tiger and team’s no.1 prospect according to MLB.com is 8-0 with a spectacular 0.95 ERA. Already exhibiting advanced command, especially of his fastball and splitter, Mize has averaged just 1.4 BB/9, a mark he matched across 267 innings in college.
Building on a strong 2018 season, Manning has pitched well at Double-A Erie, posting a 2.14 ERA and striking out 88 over just 71 innings pitched.
Posting a 3.9 BB/9 rate in 2018, Manning has continued to make stride with his command, reducing that rate to 2.5 thus far in 2019.
