Detroit Tigers: five players who could be traded at the deadline

Detroit Tigers: Five Players Who Could be Traded at the Deadline

By Matt Snyder | Jul 11, 2016

Jun 18, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Detroit Tigers left fielder Justin Upton (8) is congratulated by third baseman Nick Castellanos (9) and left fielder Steven Moya (33) after hitting a home run against the Kansas City Royals in the seventh inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports /

3 of 6

Jun 26, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Justin Wilson (38) pitches in the seventh inning against the Cleveland Indians at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /

Justin Wilson

Justin Wilson is a quality left-handed pitcher with two additional years of team control remaining through arbitration. That makes him valuable to the Tigers going forward, but, if they decide to sell, it could make him a valuable commodity in the deadline trade market when teams tend to overpay for immediate relief help.

Wilson’s 3.51 ERA is only ho-hum, but his peripheral statistics paint him as an elite reliever. His 31% stikeout rate and 4.4% walk rate are both top-20 among all qualified MLB relievers and his 50 xFIP- (meaning he’s expected to allow runs at half the league average rate given those peripheral statistics) is fourth best among the same group.

Teams like the Chicago Cubs could be looking for left-handed bullpen help, and the Tigers could market Wilson as a cheaper alternative to the Yankees’ duo of Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller.

Next: Jarrod Saltalamacchia

Home/Detroit Tigers