DETROIT – Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila agreed to a minor trade overnight, sending Robbie Grossman to the Atlanta Braves for a Single-A pitcher. Who else will be traded away ahead of Tuesday evening’s deadline?
READ: Who is Kris Anglin, the pitcher the Tigers got in the Robbie Grossman trade?
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Michael Fulmer
The most likely trade candidate on the roster remains Fulmer, even though he did the Tigers no favors by allowing four of the five batters he faced Monday to reach base.
Despite the tough outing, Fulmer owns a 3.20 ERA that’s backed up by a 3.22 FIP and a 3.05 xERA. His elevated walk rate hurts his WHIP, which sits at 1.246, but he’s limiting hits and home runs while striking out about a batter per inning.
Fulmer is such an obvious trade candidate because he’s a free agent at the end of the season. The Tigers won’t get much in return, but as he did with Grossman, Avila will prefer to at least get something.
Prediction: Fulmer gets traded
Andrew Chafin
He’s technically not a guaranteed free agent after 2022, but Chafin has a player option and can opt out of next year’s contract to become a free agent. Since he’s been so dominant for a second year in a row, it would make sense for him to do so.
Chafin owns a 2.53 ERA, a 2.21 FIP, and a 2.28 xERA. All of his underlying numbers -- from the batted ball data to his whiff rate -- look excellent. Chafin is one of the best left-handed relievers on the trade market.
The possibility that Chafin opts into next year’s deal for $6.5 million won’t add much to his trade value, because other teams can do the math, as well. But he should still be a name to watch Tuesday.
Prediction: Chafin gets traded
Joe Jimenez
Surprisingly, Jimenez hasn’t been at the center of many rumblings this week. He’s perhaps Detroit’s best reliever and remains under team control through 2023.
The strikeout metrics are through the roof for Jimenez this year, and he’s managed to pair that with an elite walk rate and excellent batted ball data. There’s nothing in Jimenez’s profile that suggests this season is a fluke.
Avila could decide to hold onto Jimenez, but trading him to a team for this year’s playoff race as well as all of next season would greatly increase his value. Jimenez could also hit a rough patch in the second half and revert to his old ways, which would be an even greater blow to his value.
It’s not a slam dunk that he’ll get moved, but failing to trade Jimenez would feel like a missed opportunity for the Tigers.
Prediction: Jimenez gets traded
The rest
A Tarik Skubal deal seems extremely unlikely after he left Monday’s start with left arm fatigue. The Tigers aren’t going to offer a discount, and teams might be scared off by the threat of an injury.
Gregory Soto still has three more seasons of team control after 2022, so unless the Tigers get blown away with an incredible deal, their closer is likely going to stay put.
It looked like Jeimer Candelario was rounding into form and might have some trade value early last week, but he’s now 2-for-18 in the last five games, and his season-long OPS sits at .640. If Avila does agree to a deal, it’ll probably only look marginally better than the return for Grossman.
If anyone makes an offer for Jonathan Schoop, I think the Tigers will immediately accept. The problem is, I doubt anyone makes an offer.
The Tigers will be active sellers in the bullpen market throughout the day, but don’t expect any flashy moves. Skubal and Soto are their best trade chips, and it doesn’t seem like many teams are eager to pay those prices.
