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Yes, it's a longshot. But let's dream for a minute. There have not been any rumors of the Colorado Rockies discussing a trade centered around either Troy Tulowitzki or Carlos Gonzalez, but Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post writes that both players were open to the idea of being traded to a contender.
This quote, in particular, was interesting.
"In Todd Helton, there's someone who's easy to look at his career here and how it played out. I have the utmost respect for Todd, but at the same time, I don't want to be the next in line as somebody who was here for a long time and didn't have a chance to win every single year," said Tulowitzki, reviewing the 17 years Helton spent as the face of a franchise that never won a division title. "He played in a couple postseason games and went to one World Series. But that's not me. I want to be somewhere where there's a chance to be in the playoffs every single year."
Will the Rockies trade either of their franchise cornerstones? Who knows. It's fun to think about, though.
WHY THIS MAKES SENSE
Both guys are really, really good. They also play positions that have been trouble spots for the Tigers in 2014, save for Eugenio Suarez's recent hot streak. Tulowitzki is the frontrunner for the National League MVP award, hitting .350/.442/.605 with 18 home runs. He is also an elite defender at shortstop. while Gonzalez is a two-time All-Star who has hit .296/.354/.524 for his career.
WHY THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE
Cost. The Tigers simply don't have the prospects to make either of these trades happen, and any possible package to bring either guy to Detroit would (a) involve multiple big leaguers and/or extortion of Godfather-like levels, and (b) severely cripple the Tigers' chances for success beyond the next couple seasons. "Depleted farm system" doesn't even begin to describe the barren wasteland that would be the Tigers' minor league system if Tulowitzki comes to Detroit.
Also, there are the contracts. While Gonzalez's deal is fairly team friendly -- he is due roughly $60 million through the 2017 season -- Tulowitzki is set to receive $20 million per year through his age 34 season. Both players have been fairly injury prone as well. Gonzalez has not played since June 3rd due to finger surgery.
LIKELIHOOD: -10/10
It ain't happenin'.