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Some trade rumors are so obviously absurd they almost don’t warrant attention — I’m looking at you Kyle Schwarber for Michael Fulmer rumor — while others make so much sense it seems strange it took so long for them to surface.
The newly circulating discussion of the Tampa Bay Rays showing interest in Tigers’ closer Justin Wilson is one of the latter.
The Rays, currently sitting at number two in the AL East, with the top Wild Card slot, are making a real push for the postseason this year, and one of the places they could use a hand is in their bullpen. Naturally, a lefty reliever with closer experience would be a huge win for their team, making Wilson an ideal target.
What’s more, the Rays have one of the best farm systems in the league, with such a bounty of top-quality prospects there would be no shortage of options to offer the Tigers. While it’s unlikely that the Rays would offer their top-tier talent like Willy Adames and Brent Honeywell, there are so many great players in the system, it would be difficult to get a bad return on a Wilson trade.
Hearing #Rays have expressed legit interest in #Tigers LHP Justin Wilson and there is some traction in talks.
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) July 17, 2017
Plenty of teams have been mentioned as being interested in Wilson over the past weeks, but this is one rumor that might have more than the usual level of merit.
Wilson makes a lot of sense for the Rays, and the Tampa Bay farm system has more than its fair share of candidates to offer the Tigers in return. While there aren’t any specific names in play at the moment, we’ll be keeping a close eye on this rumor over the coming days.