David Price has been having an excellent season upon assuming the role of the ace and Anibal Sanchez has certainly made strides, but the recent struggles of Alfredo Simon and Shane Greene have hurt the team in a big way. But you have to play well, at some point, on a consistent basis.
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USA TODAY Sports reported that the Tigers will be informing teams that their two players will be available before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.
Its not been a normal season for the Tigers to date, though, as they went into Tuesdays game at.500, and 9 1/2 games out of first place in the division. “We’re trying to do everything we can to qualify for the playoffs”.
“We’ve got some Vanderbilt guys in our system with (Tony) Kemp and (Conrad) Gregor”, Luhnow told Nick & Lopez.
If something was to happen, or whatever the scenario is, I dont think I would be in the dark on that, Price said.
The Tigers have enough money coming off the books to be players in the free agent market this upcoming offseason. Price would join Cole Hamels and Johnny Cueto as one of the top pitching prizes available, with teams including the deep-pocketed Dodgers and Yankees prepared to bid.
David Price has been through the trade rumor wringer before. And if they trade Cespedes the lineup doesn’t look almost as deep.
Back on Jun. 13, Detroit Tigers one-time ace Justin Verlander finally returned to the mound after spending the first two-plus months of the 2015 campaign on the sidelines with a triceps injury he sustained in Spring Training. Those six games could have significant meaning, depending on how the next six weeks unfold.
The price for Price won’t be cheap, but it should be worth it. According to Steamer and ZiPS projections, he is estimated to produce 2.1 wins above replacement over the rest of the season, the sixth best among all pitchers in baseball and the prize of the trade deadline. Cespedes was a Tiger killer in Oakland in the postseason, and trading him to a division rival would ruin all chances of the Tigers’ beating Kansas City in the playoff run.
It’s not like the Tigers instantly would become patsies or a Twins punching bag or anything like that.
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Dave Dombrowski hasn’t tipped his hand, but the Tigers are falling out of the playoff picture and Miguel Cabrera may not return from the disabled list until mid-August.
