FanPost

Fan-Post Friday: Cannon's Trade Deadline

Life is more fun with a good Tiger ball team, isn't it? This summer has been a blast, but there are a few obvious holes. I've been pretty vocal about my wants for this team dating back to last offseason - seriously, where's the first baseman?? - but in all, have been impressed with the cohesion, unity and skill displayed by a low-talent team. Are we playing above our depth? Probably. Is the coaching staff, led by Hinch, getting more out of players than we ever thought possible? Definitely.

Before getting too deep, I will set a few ground rules for this project.

1. All trades are vetted by the BaseballTradeValue trade simulator, with minor adjustments as needed. This means nothing crazy like "Cabrera for Trout" or even "Manning for Turner".

2. No top-5 prospects, recent IFA's, or 2021 draft picks will be traded. In our current state, betting the farm and mortgaging the future would be idiotic, and I don't think 2021 picks can even be traded yet.

3. Every trade return is controllable through the end of 2022 at the minimum, ideally longer. Again, short-term returns aren't really helping Detroit as a franchise, even if it would be fun to add Bryant.

4. Players can only be traded once. This seems obvious, but it just means that I'm viewing these trades as part of a cohesive strategy, not individualized moves.

With that out of the way, let's begin!

Trades

1. Detroit Tigers trade LHP Tyler Alexander to the San Francisco Giants for 1B/OF Darin Ruf. This isn't the ground-breaking trade many fans want, but if you're not willing to trade top-tier talent, you can't exactly expect top-tier returns either. SF needs pitching depth, and with Belt, Posey and Bart in the 1B mix for 2021, as well as Yaz and Dickerson in the corner outfield, Ruf is expendable. His story is similar to Marcus Thames; struggled in the Majors initially, went overseas and mashed, and then came back and has done the same with a new approach: swing hard, hit the ball hard, and reap the rewards. He has two years of control after this one, helping bridge the gap to Torkelson if/when he moves to 1B, and is in the top-10 in expected stats (xwOBA: 409, wOBA: 402). This isn't a mirage - his barrel rate is on par with sluggers like Rhys Hoskins and Joey Gallo. Alexander fits the pitching need of a surprise contender and could fill in for any of Wood, Sanchez or Disco when they leave for free agency. Note this is one instance of the BTV not quite matching up, but Ruf has hit better than a 2.1 on that simulator, so a minor overpay seems to make sense.

2. Detroit Tigers trade INF Isaac Paredes, RHP Jose Cisnero and LHP Matthew Boyd to the Los Angeles Dodgers for 2B Michael Busch, OF Andy Pages and RHP Joe Kelly. Los Angeles could use an infielder, as Lux and Seager are both hurt and Taylor belongs on the grass more than anywhere else; Paredes fills that gap as a young, controllable asset with former top prospect pedigree. They also surprisingly need pitching, as Bauer, May and Kershaw are currently unavailable and the bullpen has struggled a bit. Boyd and Cisnero are quality pitchers, controllable, and Cisnero especially helps a win-now team shore up a solid, but shallow bullpen. They also clear a bit of salary for larger moves, possibly for a star outfielder or another reliever.

In return, the Tigers get an overpaid rental reliever and two promising prospects. Busch, with a 50 FV, is a AA 2B with a strong bat, profiling as a similar defender - and bat! - to fellow Dodger Max Muncy. Yes please! His 55 Hit and Power tools offset a lacking Speed tool (45), and his advanced eye at the plate suggests a high offensive floor. His progress was stalled early by a freak HBP and then the pandemic, but all he has ever done is hit, and hit well. Pages is another 50 FV prospect, an A+ outfielder with a bit too much swing and miss, but full-time power and good defense. The major concern is his high leg kick, a trait Detroit has worked out with at least one notable prospect, Jake Rogers. His plate discipline is solid and if he can make a bit more contact, he would certainly be a nice addition to a young outfield group.

Are these moves likely? No, not by any stretch of the imagination. But there are creative ways to add to the 2022-24 teams without killing the 2021 season. If two teams' needs line up, anything is possible, but I don't expect much activity from the Tigers, if any.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of the <em>Bless You Boys</em> writing staff.