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Free Press sports writers Anthony Fenech and George Sipple break down the trade winds swirling over the Tigers from Kansas City, Mo.
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In this July 17 episode of Talkin’ Tigers podcast, Anthony Fenech & George Sipple discuss trade values of Verlander & Fulmer, why Ausmus probably should have been let go, then Giants radio play-by-play man and ESPN sportscaster Dave Flemming joins.
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Former Tigers pitcher Dan Petry talks about team meetings and what can be done to help Daniel Norris on July 15, 2017.
George Sipple, Detroit Free Press
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One of the fine mansions of Detroit’s historic Boston-Edison District has just come on the market.
Detroit Free Press
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Free Press sports writer Anthony Fenech gets out his red pen to critique the team’s performance, player by player.
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Wrapping up Tigers’ whirlwind trade rumors, win Monday
Talkin Tigers podcast: July 17, 2017
Ex-Tiger Dan Petry on team meetings, Daniel Norris
How Tigers fared on day Detroit riot broke out
Boston Edison home was built by Detroit Tigers owner
The history of big games at Comerica Park
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2017 Detroit Tigers’ midseason grades
Fans, experts alike think the Tigers got a light return for one of the best hitters on the trade market
The Detroit Tigers could have done better.
That’s the majority opinion of fans and analysts alike on Twitter just moments after general manager Al Avila and the Tigers swapped outfielder J.D. Martinez to the Arizona Diamondbacks for three prospects: Infielders Dawel Lugo, Sergio Alcantara and Jose King.
Lugo’s ranked the No. 4 prospect in the Diamondbacks’ system, according to MLB Pipeline, while Alcantara is ranked No. 15. King isn’t ranked.
Obviously, we’ll know in several years who really won this trade. For now, however, baseball enthusiasts and experts believe this is an underwhelming return for the Tigers.
“If that is the market price for rental bats right now, Todd Frazier should cost the Red Sox a half-eaten hot dog,” wrote FanGraphs’ David Cameron on Twitter.
“This seems like a very light return for JD Martinez even as a rental; I don’t think Arizona gave up any of their top ten prospects in the deal, but they got a player who’s probably worth two wins to them the rest of the season,” wrote ESPN’s Keith Law.
Fans aren’t thrilled, either. Free Press sports writer George conducted a Twitter poll after the trade, asking fans for their reactions. Roughly 3 of every 4 fans who voted gave an unfavorable response.
So could the Tigers have gotten more in the deal? Many think so, especially after they were able to trade another outfielder with an expiring deal – Yoenis Cespedes – in 2015 for pitching prospect Michael Fulmer (that was when Dave Dombrowski was still general manager for another few days).
But ESPN analyst Buster Olney says it’s typically a bad market to trade a position player to a contender. Fellow MLB insider Jon Heyman echoed that sentiment.
No one questions that the Tigers had to trade Martinez. He hits free agency this winter and will command top dollar as one of the best bats on the market; meanwhile, the Tigers are toiling at 42-49 entering tonight’s game in Kansas City with 13 days until the trade deadline. They were likely going to lose Martinez regardless, so it’s better to get something than nothing.
But Martinez was also considered one of the most coveted position players on the trading block; though he started the year injured, his 1.018 OPS ranks third only behind Mike Trout and Aaron Judge in the American League.
Furthermore, while the Tigers did get a Top 5 and Top 15 prospect in the Diamondbacks’ system, that system is considered among the worst in baseball, a consensus opinion from Keith Law, Baseball America and Bleacher Report, among others.
So we’ll see. Maybe the Tigers see something out of this haul that others don’t.
Contact Brian Manzullo: [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrianManzullo.
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