FoxSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi has a few updates on what players the Tigers may be looking at as we draw within 16 days of the July 31 trade deadline, and what players they appear to have little interest in.
The big news from Morosi is that they have interest in Carlos Beltran, but they do not have him at the top of their list. Instead, pitching seems to be their top focus. (I can only hope.) In fact, they do have interest in Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda.
Morosi:
The Tigers are keener on Kuroda than the likes of Wandy Rodriguez, Brett Myers, Jeff Francis and Ryan Dempster, sources say. Also, Detroit is unlikely to trade for Seattle's Erik Bedard - who is currently on the disabled list - in part because the Tigers' deal for another Mariners lefty (Jarrod Washburn) didn't pan out because of health reasons two years ago.
Obviously Kuroda's no-trade clause is an issue.
Kuroda has a 3.06 ERA this year with a 3.73 FIP. His K/9 sits at 6.51, slightly off from last season, while his BB/9 (2.35) is incrementally up. His ERA is likely helped by stranding 77% of runners, an improvement of 8% over his career average.
Kuroda is on a one-year contract with about $5m owed, Morosi reports.
Ranking trade ideas in my mind, acquiring Kuroda is at the top of my list. The Tigers desperately need help in the rotation. Behind Justin Verlander, they have seen inconsistency out of Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello. They have found no solution to the hole at fifth starter. And if there were to be any injuries, their lack of depth in MLB-ready prospects is a problem. Kuroda, with an expiring contract, would also be a better idea than being stuck with an aging Wandy Rodriguez with a costly contract.