Detroit Tigers Trade Rumors: Club Getting Calls on Verlander, Cabrera

The Detroit Tigers have taken calls from a number of teams interested in a number of players, including Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera.

According to the venerable Jon Heyman, the Detroit Tigers have been receiving calls from potential trade partners on a number of players. Included in the group: Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander.

It’s not clear how serious the interest is, but any trade involving these big-name players would likely be slow in developing. There are major hurdles to jump before a deal could be consummated.

"Verlander would appeal to teams off a Cy Young-worthy season and especially in this very thin starting pitching market, and Cabrera could appeal to some, though he has eight years and $212 million to go, which wold limit his market. Those two, plus V-Mart, have full no-trades, while Zimmermann has a blanket no-trade this winter."

As Heyman notes, both Verlander and Cabrera have trade veto power through their five-and-ten rights (ten years of service time, five with their current team). That means the player has the final say on whether or not they’re traded, even if the Tigers front office can secure a choice return package.

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Both Verlander and Cabrera appear to be very comfortable in Detroit and they’re loved by the entirety of the fan base. Either might be persuaded to leave if the Tigers make it clear that they’re not going be in position to contend for a few years, but again, that decision belongs to the individual player.

The prudent move, in a cold and calculating sense, would be to trade both superstars if their expensive contracts could be moved for full value, but the potentially (and probably) negative fan reaction can’t be discounted.

Moving either (or both) would be the fastest way to both (1) restock the farm system and (2) reduce payroll below the new $189 million target.

Al Avila was on MLB Network today to discuss his offseason plan. It appears that what he has in mind is more of a multi-year rebuild and not a quick salary dump.

Next: Tigers: Is Maybin Trade a Troubling Sign?

It seems clear that more players are going to be on their way out this offseason, but it’s less clear the exact direction the club will take. Will they punt on a season or two in an attempt to build a stronger future, or will they try to dump some salary for the time being while trying to hold onto competitiveness by their metaphorical fingertips?