Detroit Tigers Trade Rumors: Tracking Hot Updates, News and Reaction

Rick WeinerJul 15, 2015

The last time the Detroit Tigers didn't win the AL Central, J.D. Martinez had yet to make his major league debut, David Price was making his first All-Star appearance for Tampa Bay and Victor Martinez was a member of the Boston Red Sox.

It's been a while since the Tigers were faced with such a scenario, but there's a legitimate chance that the team's four-year run of division crowns will come to an end in 2015, with the club sitting nine games back of first place Kansas City as the season's second half gets set to begin.

Making up that ground becomes even harder when you realize that Miguel Cabrera won't be around to help, as the perennial MVP candidate is on the shelf until early August with a strained left calf.

That doesn't mean that the club is giving up on the season, though. "We're trying to win this year," general manager Dave Dombrowski told a group of reporters that included Chris Iott of MLive.com heading into the All-Star break.

Bolstering the rotation and bullpen would go a long way toward reaching that goal, as would adding another bat to the mix, preferably one that could play a corner infield spot.

Keep it here for the most up-to-the-minute rumblings about the Tigers, along with analysis and everything that comes with it. While the post date will always show as July 15, simply click to the next slide to see the latest from the rumor mill as the Tigers try to rebound and win their fifth consecutive division title.

Done Deals

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Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

July 30: Traded LHP David Price to the Toronto Blue Jays for LHPs Matt Boyd, Jairo Labourt and Daniel Norris (Analysis)

July 30: Traded CL Joakim Soria to the Pittsburgh Pirates for SS/OF Jacoby Jones (Analysis)

July 31: Traded OF Yoenis Cespedes to the New York Mets in exchange for RHP Michael Fulmer and RHP Luis Cessa.

July 31: Traded Yoenis Cespedes to Mets

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Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

The Detroit Tigers have traded outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to the New York Mets in exchange for right-handers Michael Fulmer and Luis Cessa.

After deciding to "reboot," the Tigers were aggressive in trying to move their biggest soon-to-be free agents. The team dealt David Price the day before the deadline, and just minutes before the deadline, the team pulled the trigger on a Cespedes deal.

There were several big deals reportedly on the market. However, other teams weren't as aggressive as Detroit when it came time to move their players.

The Mets were the team most in need of offense, and with the Tigers looking to get something in return for their star outfielder, it was the perfect match.

Per MLB.com, Fulmer (No. 7) and Cessa (No. 16) were among the best prospects in the Mets' farm system.

Cespedes, who is making $10.5 million this season, is a free agent at season's end. Although the Tigers traded him at the deadline, they will likely make a run at him in free agency.

July 30: Traded David Price to Toronto (Tentative)

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Duane Burleson/Associated Press

Detroit did the right thing and moved David Price, bringing back a three-player package from Toronto that will pay dividends both now and well into the future.

One of the best pitching prospects in baseball, 22-year-old Daniel Norris is the centerpiece of this deal. Armed with four pitches that all flash plus or better and the ability to make batters swing-and-miss, he’s got the stuff and makeup to become a front-of-the-rotation arm.

While he held his own in five early season starts with Toronto (3.86 ERA), command remains something that he needs to work on. Norris figures to join Detroit’s rotation at some point this season, likely after rosters expand on Sept. 1.

The Tigers also picked up two other southpaws in the deal, 24-year-old Matt Boyd and 21-year-old Jairo Labourt.

Boyd got shelled in two early season starts for the Blue Jays (15 hits and 11 ER over 5.2 innings), but he's got a good feel for pitching, can add and subtract velocity from his fastball as needed and does a good job of keeping the ball down in the zone.

Over 18 starts between Double-A and Triple-A this year, he's pitched to a 1.68 ERA and 0.84 WHIP with 107 strikeouts over 112 innings of work. He's just about ready for another chance in a big league rotation.

Labourt still has a few years before he'll reach the show, but he's got all the makings of a future workhorse.

Standing 6'4", the natural sink on his low-90s fastball is accentuated by his downhill trajectory, which in turn induces a lot of groundballs. His secondary stuff is still a work in progress, however, and he's likely to finish out the season in High-A ball.

All things considered, the Tigers did very well for themselves in this deal, landing three potential pieces of their starting rotation of the not-so-distant future in exchange for two-plus months of David Price.

July 30: Traded Joakim Soria to the Pirates (Tentative)

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Duane Burleson/Associated Press

Detroit didn't get a blue-chip prospect in return for two-plus months of Joakim Soria, but 23-year-old JaCoby Jones (yes, that's the correct spelling) is a toolsy player with the power/speed combination that teams love.

Recently promoted to Double-A, Jones owns a career .277/.336/.455 slash line across parts of three minor league seasons. While he's got the speed to handle center field, he'd be most valuable as a shortstop, which he's played the past two years, especially if his power continues to develop.

If Jones can hold his own against upper-level pitching, he could reach the big leagues at some point in 2016.

The Tigers Are Shopping for a Starter

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John Minchillo/Associated Press

The debate about whether the Tigers would sell is apparently over, with executives from one team with pitching to spare telling ESPN's Jerry Crasnick that Detroit is "actively shopping" for an arm.

While the Tigers have yet to be linked to a specific starter, here's a quick rundown of the potential targets:

Short-Term Rentals