MLB Trade Rumors: Detroit Tigers Will Overtake Tribe with Deadline Deal

The Detroit Tigers are lurking in the AL Central shadows, preparing for the right time to pounce on the Cleveland Indians.

They sit just one game behind the Tribe, who have been hit with the injury bug recently as Grady Sizemore joins Shin Shoo-Choo on the disabled list for the third time this season.

With the White Sox and Twins still in the running for the division, it is imperative that the Tigers make a deal by the July 31 trade deadline.

We know Detroit is always willing to make a blockbuster deal—remember, this is the same team that brought in Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera from Florida—and they will have to do so again this year.

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“While [Dave] Dombrowski does not appear to be in serious jeopardy, both he and manager Jim Leyland are in the final years of their contracts. As I wrote in a recent column about Leyland, if owner Mike Ilitch was certain that he wanted both to return, he already would have granted them extensions…

With Dombrowski serving as both GM and club president, the franchise clearly is in better shape than when he took over in ’02,” according to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal when discussing GM job security around the Majors.

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It would be dumb not to bring back Dombrowski considering the Tigers have reached the World Series under his watchful eye. Still, the pressure is on to get a deal done with the division clearly in sight.

This team desperately needs another quality starting pitcher to put behind ace Justin Verlander in the rotation. Just as importantly, they need a slugger to put the pressure on opposing pitchers and provide better run support for their own.

Like most teams around the league looking to contend, Detroit has a starter No. 1 on the wish list.

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“Percentages, though, as well as basic needs, favor a pitcher as Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski shops ahead…

‘We're looking outside the organization,’ Dombrowski said Monday as the Tigers likely continued conversations with the Braves about Dearborn native Derek Lowe, and probably with the Dodgers, who are believed to have made another right-hander, Hiroki Kuroda, at least available for conversation.

‘There are candidates internally that we think are capable of performing at the big-league level, but when you're talking about young pitchers, you never quite know how they might respond,’ Dombrowski said. ‘Somebody has to take the ball for you. We feel they have enough talent. But enough experience?,’” according to The Detroit News’ Lynn Henning.

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Ah, that’s the kicker—finding an experienced, yet affordable starter. This year’s starting pitching trade market is simply abysmal outside of the possibility of Ubaldo Jimenez being moved by Colorado. Houston's scrubs Wandy Rodriguez and Brett Myers, Atlanta’s Derek Lowe and San Diego’s Aaron Harang are being looked at heavily by GMs across the Majors.

Of the bunch, the Tigers have been linked lately to Lowe, who is a Michigan native. One would have to think he would feel rejuvenated finishing his career in his home state, but we have to keep in mind he has not pitched in the American League since 2004 and comes equipped with a 6-7 record, 4.37 ERA and 1.39 WHIP—not exactly comforting.

Perhaps just as importantly, the Tigers may feel Lowe’s contract is far too expensive, especially for somebody with his numbers.

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“Barring a change, the probability of Derek Lowe going to #Tigers is extremely 'low,'' says a source. Money is the big sticking point,” according to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick on Twitter.   

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One would think the Dodgers will be sellers at the deadline, but it remains to be seen if they are willing to trade away their staple behind Clayton Kershaw and Chad Bllingsley.

All signs point towards the Tigers bringing in a bat at the deadline. They have slugging needs at third base to replace the inconsistent Brandon Inge and in right field to replace the beyond pitiful Magglio Ordonez.

The top two targets would ideally be Chicago Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez and New York Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran.

Unfortunately, Detroit, and nearly every other team in the Majors, will have to wait until August for A-Ram. He has a no-trade clause and, according to Rosenthal, has every intention to stay in Chicago with his family in town from the Dominican Republic—how cute, and heartbreaking for every contending team. I wrote yesterday that it would be wise for A-Ram to accept a deal to Detroit considering it’s close to Chicago, but I guess he doesn’t want to put ‘the burden’ on his family of traveling a bit more before they head back to DR.

The top choice now is Beltran.

He has the ability to put the Tigers over the top in the Central and make them a legitimate threat in the postseason with Verlander anchoring the staff.

There is a kicker here, though, as ESPN baseball guru Buster Olney reports today.

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“The Mets are right to feel that Carlos Beltran is the best available hitter on the trade market, considering his experience, and so it's understandable why they're telling other teams that they'd like a top prospect in return for him; as reported here on Sunday, they have indicated to other teams a willingness to eat a lot of the money owed to Beltran to get the kind of prospect they'd like.

But the general managers of rival teams believe that Beltran's value is significantly less than what the Mets are indicating, because there is not a consolation prize attached to the outfielder after he becomes a free agent.

When Scott Boras, his agent, negotiated Beltran's contract with the Mets in the winter of 2004-05, he asked for and received a stipulation that there would be no draft picks tied to Beltran as he became a free agent at the end of his contract; this way, his attractiveness as a free agent wouldn't be diminished by his attachment to compensation, as it has for players like Juan Cruz and Jason Varitek in recent seasons.

But some teams interested in Beltran now note that there really won't be any draft-pick payoff as Beltran walks away -- so what they are paying for, if the Mets eat all or most of Beltran's deal, is about nine weeks of a very good veteran hitter. Nothing more. With draft picks attached, his value would be much more, rival executives believe,” according to Olney.

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Do you hear that? That’s the sound of New York’s hopes of cashing in on the top 2011 summer movie rental crashing to the ground.

Boras effectively put the kibosh on New York acquiring a nice chunk of change for their aging "star."

Still, the Mets need to buckle down and accept a couple of mid-level prospects in return, which Detroit should be more than willing to pony up for a man of his services.

Beltran is enjoying a bounce back All-Star season as he hits .287 with .512 SLG, 14 HR, 28 2B, 59 RBI and 54 runs scored.

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Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman states on Twitter, “phillies, giants most likely for beltran, then tigers, braves. brewers focused on infield. #redsox interest mild so far.”

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The Tigers collectively rank 10th in runs scored (419), 8th in slugging percentage (.412), 5th in on base percentage (.330) and 4th in batting average (.263).

It makes all the sense in the world for the Tigers to rent Beltran. With the weak starting pitching market, the Tigers must continue to add to their strength. With Beltran, they could easily trump any rotation in the American League and outslug the Red Sox, Yankees and Rangers who they would surely see in the postseason.

They could then bring in Ramirez, who also wants to become a free agent at the end of the season, which increases his value at the deadline and in August.

Dombrowski does not need to go all out to bring in Beltran, but it is imperative that he swindles a deal for the slugger. We know Beltran will continue to surge as he attempts to break the bank once more in the offseason. He is playing above his talent level as we speak because that’s simply what players do in contract years.

Detroit could bring him in for the stretch run when Beltran would do everything in his power to show GMs across the Majors that he has what it takes to carry a team into and through the postseason.

Detroit is guaranteed to overtake the Tribe if they can add a bat of Beltran’s caliber at the deadline. We don’t know for sure if Dombrowski will bring him in, but we know for sure that he will make a move at the deadline just like he has done in the past to catapult the Tigers past the Indians to win the AL Central in September.