DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers have one more day to make trades involving Eduardo Rodriguez and Michael Lorenzen, and there are plenty of contenders looking for starting pitchers.
MLB’s trade deadline is at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1 -- just under 30 hours from now. It feels like a near guarantee that the Tigers will move both Rodriguez and Lorenzen, as they sit a full 12 games below .500 with only a third of the season remaining.
There are 21 teams within five games of a playoff spot as July comes to a close. That means the seller’s market sets up perfectly for first-year Tigers president Scott Harris.
If the Lucas Giolito trade is any indication of what the Tigers could get in exchange for rental starters, then the organization should get a healthy boost in the coming hours.
Let’s take a look at some theoretical trades the Tigers could pursue.
Baltimore Orioles (part 1)
- Trade details: Eduardo Rodriguez for Coby Mayo
The Orioles have been in the market for at least one, if not two, starting pitchers for weeks, according to reports. That makes sense, as they own the best record in the American League despite trotting out the likes of Kyle Gibson and Dean Kremer every fifth day.
Top prospect Grayson Rodriguez has been mostly terrible throughout his rookie season, and even though Tyler Wells and Kyle Bradish have been solid, those aren’t front-of-the-line starters who inspire much confidence heading into a postseason series.
The Orioles got a firsthand look at Rodriguez in late April when he made back-to-back starts against them. In the first, he carried a perfect game into the seventh inning and ultimately settled for seven shutout frames. Six days later, he allowed one run over 5.2 innings.
In total, Rodriguez allowed one run on five hits and two walks across 12.2 innings against Baltimore.
Camden Yards is a great park for left-handed pitchers after the wall was pushed back in left field. But the Orioles are currently trotting out five right-handed starters.
Giolito fetched the Chicago White Sox two of the Angels’ top three prospects, including the No. 65 overall prospect in baseball, Jose Quero.
Baltimore has an embarrassment of young position players, starting with Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg, who are both already holding their own at the MLB level. The Orioles also have arguably the top prospect in the game, Jackson Holliday, as well as infielders Connor Norby and Jose Ortiz.
The organization is absolutely loaded, and the Tigers would do well to try to dip into that goldmine to help address what’s been a years-long offensive void.
Baltimore Orioles (part 2)
- Trade details: Eduardo Rodriguez and Michael Lorenzen for Coby Mayo, Max Wagner, and Cesar Prieto
As great as it sounds on paper, it’ll probably be hard for the Tigers to package both Rodriguez and Lorenzen in a single trade. But if it happens, the Orioles are the perfect match, for all the reasons listed above.
Wagner and Prieto are mid-level infield prospects in the Orioles system who are not only blocked by the team’s current young major leaguers, but the throng of prospects still waiting in the wings.
Wagner, 21, is a third base prospect in High-A who’s currently sporting a .364 on-base percentage with 24 extra-base hits and 25 steals in 75 games.
Prieto is a bit older at 24, but he’s been moved to Triple-A this season and taken the promotion in stride, slashing .317/.365/.471. He’s struck out just 10 times in 115 plate appearances.
If there’s one thing the Orioles have proven over the last several seasons, it’s that they know how to identify and develop young hitters. If the Tigers can get multiple prospects for a couple of rental pitchers, it would be a major win for Harris.
Arizona Diamondbacks
- Trade details: Eduardo Rodriguez for Blaze Alexander and Deyvison De Los Santos
Arizona is in an interesting spot. A surprise contender that’s maybe a year ahead of schedule, the team jumped out to an early lead in the loaded NL West but has dropped to third during a recent skid.
Still, the Diamondbacks are only four games behind the Dodgers and one game out of a wildcard spot. There’s no question they are looking to buy this week.
The offense is one of the best in the league, but Arizona’s starting rotation stinks behind Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly. Youngsters Brandon Pfaadt, Drey Jameson, and Ryne Nelson haven’t locked up starting spots, and Zach Davies has a negative WAR.
Tommy Henry, a former University of Michigan star, is the only left-hander in the rotation, and he’s sporting a 1.36 WHIP while striking out 6.5 batters per nine. Arizona desperately needs to add a reliable lefty.
Rodriguez is one of the best options on the market, and the Diamondbacks have some prospects who would fill obvious needs for the Tigers offensively.
Alexander, 24, is a versatile infielder who’s tearing up Triple-A after dominating Double-A a year ago. In 39 games, he’s batting .292 with a .390 OBP and .492 slugging percentage.
Prospect evaluators consider Alexander a strong defender with plus power, so his ability to get on base regularly has been a pleasant bonus.
De Los Santos is only 20 years old and already playing in Double-A. He was promoted aggressively in 2022 and responded well, posting an .847 OPS across three levels. De Los Santos batted .306 with 22 homers and 29 doubles.
The Diamondbacks could theoretically use Lorenzen, too, but they might not have the right prospect mix to make a trade for both, considering the Tigers’ needs.
Cincinnati Reds
- Trade details: Michael Lorenzen and Eduardo Rodriguez for Sal Stewart, Carlos Jorge, and Leonardo Balcazar
Let’s have a little fun and try another Lorenzen-Rodriguez package deal.
No team in baseball is more exciting right now than the Reds, and they’ve built their surprising turnaround on the backs of young hitters like Elly De La Cruz, Spencer Steer, and Matt McLain.
Rookie Andrew Abbott has been a savior for the starting rotation, but injuries to Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo have left the rest of the group pretty bare. If the Reds want to hold onto their lead in the NL Central, they probably need to add a starting pitcher -- maybe two.
Luckily, the Reds have the depth to make multiple moves. Behind De La Cruz, Steer, and McLain, they’ve also called up top 100 prospect Christian Encarnacion-Strand. Noelvi Marte -- the prized piece from the Luis Castillo trade -- is raking in the minors, as well.
The Tigers probably aren’t going to get any of those players for rentals, but they could target a trio of 19-year-old infielders.
Stewart is the most exciting of the bunch, with 57 walks and 56 strikeouts on the season. That’s unheard-of plate discipline for a 19-year-old in his first full professional season.
Jorge is another high on-base guy, with a .392 OBP this year after posting a .405 OBP across 42 games in rookie ball last season. He also has 28 extra-base hits and 29 stolen bases.
The final player is Balcazar, who isn’t considered a high-end hitter by evaluators but has produced during all three partial seasons in the lower minors.
In 89 career games since breaking into the pros in 2021, Balcazar owns a .300/.392/.495 slash line with 11 home runs, 17 doubles, seven triples, and 23 stolen bases.
After drafting 18-year-old Max Clark with the No. 3 overall pick earlier this month, Harris made it clear he’s thinking long-term. Adding three infield prospects who have yet to turn 20 would fit into that timeline.
San Francisco Giants
- Trade details: Eduardo Rodriguez for Grant McCray and Aeverson Arteaga
If the offers aren’t nearly as good as everyone expects, the Giants could be a less exciting fallback option.
It’s amazing the Giants have been able to thrive in the NL West with only two decent starting pitchers, but there they are, only two games behind the Dodgers and on top of the NL wildcard standings.
San Francisco has a true ace in Logan Webb and a reliable vet in Alex Cobb. But everyone else has either been wildly inconsistent or consistently awful.
Anthony DeSclafani is sporting a 4.88 ERA after a solid start to the season, and both Ross Stripling and Alex Wood probably deserve to get bumped from the rotation altogether.
The Giants don’t have many high-end infield prospects, but they probably have what it takes to comfortably acquire Rodriguez, which would add a top left-hander alongside the righty duo of Webb and Cobb. (Sean Manaea was supposed to fill that role, but has long since lost his spot.)
Grant McCray is a name to know here, after hitting 21 home runs and stealing 35 bases in 106 games last season. He’s 22 years old and getting his first taste of High-A, slashing .253/.350/.423 with 35 steals, 11 homers, 18 doubles, and six triples in 93 games.
McCray is a true center fielder with elite speed and plus power. Strikeouts have been a bit of an issue early in his professional career, but the tools are loud.
Arteaga is also playing at High-A, but he’s just 20 years old. A shortstop prospect known for his glove, Arteaga racked up 51 extra-base hits last season and has 36 more this year. Like McCray, he’s swinging and missing a bit too much, but that’s not uncommon at his age.
