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Unfortunately the Big Four sports are not going well in Detroit right now. The Lions are fine, but still haven’t won a playoff game since most of our staff was in diapers. The Red Wings and Tigers are currently mired in twin rebuilds. The Pistons made the playoffs last season, but their ceiling seems to be limited to that of a lower playoff seed likely to get bounced in the first round.
The recent rumors that Russell Westbrook might not change that at all, but damn if that wouldn’t be more exciting.
In terms of acquiring Westbrook, our friends at Detroit Bad Boys generally seem to agree that they would be OK with the move, so long as they don’t part with any young assets or draft picks. Westbrook’s contract is arguably the worst in the NBA right now, costs his team even more due to luxury tax penalties, and will not age well (you can check out their coverage if you want to learn more).
This got us thinking: what if the Tigers were able to essentially grab a star-level talent from another team for free? Our Question of the Day will contain a bit of a caveat thanks to a Mike Trout-sized elephant in the room.
Which superstar player not named Mike Trout would you want on the Tigers?
My answer: Two-way superstars don’t exactly grow on trees, and they don’t make many like Nolan Arenado. The Rockies’ third baseman has been one of the most valuable players in baseball for years now, and is an elite defender to boot. He carries the usual Coors Field splits with him, but has still been an above-average hitter away from home, which would even out in another environment. He would instantly be one of the best third basemen in Tigers history — they have been rather weak here as a franchise over the years — and at 28, is still in the prime of his career.
If you want to go younger, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. look like franchise cornerstones already. But there are no wrong answers here, really.