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In the past, July 31st was one of the most exciting days of the year for Tigers fans. From Sean Casey to David Price, Dave Dombrowski had a penchant for buying big at the trade deadline, and he frequently waited until the last minute to do so. Even in his final disappointing season in Detroit, Dombrowski still created a flurry of excitement by becoming a seller for the first time in a long time and trading away three of the most valuable rental players available.
Al Avila’s first deadline was a quiet one, as the Tigers opted to stand pat midway through 2016, and he chose to cash in his biggest chip nearly two weeks before the 2017 deadline. However, Avila did get in on the deadline drama a bit late Sunday night, sending Justin Wilson and Alex Avila to the Cubs for a pair of young infielders and a player to be named later.
Most signs suggest the Tigers are likely done selling for now, with a gaggle of infield prospects in their back pocket for the impending rebuild. Though recent rumors around Justin Verlander, Ian Kinsler, and others have left the door open for a last-minute, Dombrowski-esque splash. We aren’t expecting anything big out of the Tigers today, but we wouldn’t be that surprised, either.
Even if the Tigers do sit idle today, there should be plenty of news around the league. Yu Darvish and Sonny Gray will almost surely be dealt before the 4 p.m. deadline, and should fetch pretty handsome prospect returns. You can expect lots of other names to surface throughout the day, as well. If you see a rumor, drop it in the comments, and we’ll be sure to provide any Tigers-related updates on the front page of the site.