FanPost

No Nostalgia: Trade Verlander Scenario

Look, we all know Justin Verlander may never have a higher trade value than he does right now. He's coming off of a season in which he might (should) win the AL Cy Young and he shows no signs of slowing down getting older. He's the type of work horse teams covet this time of year. Teams like, say, the Boston Red Sox, who showed that without that one October stud, how good the team is just doesn't seem to matter. In this scenario, we'll look at how the Red Sox can get that crucial piece they were missing this year, while also getting a nice complementary piece for less than they'd sacrifice for say, Chris Sale.

It's no secret Justin Verlander is owed a lot of money. But when you just paid David Price 217 million, and you have a field full of young studs, you can afford it if you're the Red Sox. So lets say Al Avila gets on the phone and calls his old boss, who knows Verlander better than any other front office in baseball, and says "you interested in JV?". The answer will be yes, but at what cost? I think a deal centered around Jackie Bradley Jr and Yoan Moncada is a great place to start. In this scenario, Al offers Justin Verlander and Victor Martinez for Jackie Bradley Jr, Yoan Moncada and Luis Alexander. To sweeten the pot a bit, Al will have to offer 10 million a year for the next four years to help limit the financial burden on Boston. With that, Boston will be paying 100 million total for the remaining years of Justin Verlander and Victor Martinez. Not bad for a Cy Young winning pitcher and switch hitting DH with power. With all of the young speed on Boston, Victor could mash hitting behind Hanley, while a three headed monster of Verlander, Price and Porcello is a scary thought.

But whats in it for the Tigers? Well obviously, the big price is an everyday center fielder with speed and power, along with a possible stud in Yoan Moncada. Luis Alexander has tools, but is so raw, who really knows right now how he'll develop. This gives the Tigers exactly what they want and fast. They get younger, faster and cheaper immediately. From here, Avila has many options. If Moncada is better suited for third base, you could DH Miggy, and move nick to first base where his subpar defense won't be as glaring. If Avila can get a good package for Kinsler, he can work Moncada at second base and hope he sticks. Regardless, the influx of youth and the ability to solidify center field is well worth seeing JV win a championship in Boston. The Tigers could then work on trading Upton, JD or both. If Avila can take the plunge and sell high on the face of the franchise, Tigers fans could be seeing a youth movement very soon. But most importantly, major league ready youth. Thats something I can live with.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of the <em>Bless You Boys</em> writing staff.