Detroit Tigers rumors: Alex Avila could be a trade match for the Chicago Cubs
By Matt Snyder
The Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs could look form a trade partnership around left-handed hitting catcher Alex Avila.
The Detroit Tigers haven’t yet announced a full-scale selloff but it seems clear that they’ll be looking to make large-scale changes to their roster this summer as the July 31 trade deadline draws near. If (when) they decide to trade assets to build for the future, the first players to go will be the ones who are due to hit free agency in the offseason, most notably J.D. Martinez and Alex Avila.
Both are sure to generate plenty of interest, but a potential suitor for Avila’s services may have surfaced on Wednesday afternoon when the Chicago Cubs announced that they had designated veteran catcher Miguel Montero for assignment. Montero has been performing well with the bat this season — he’s hitting 286/.366/.439 — but was in the news recently for criticizing his pitching staff’s ability to control the running game.
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Montero was the left-handed hitting portion of the Cubs’ catching platoon (Willson Contreras hits right-handed). For now, the Cubs have called up prospect Victor Caratini, a switch hitter, who will be making his major league debut. Caratini has shown promise with the bat in the minor leagues, but he’s a converted infielder and may not be ready to handle a major league pitching staff.
The Cubs also have Kyle Schwarber in their system at AAA trying to find his stroke after early-season struggles at the big league level. The big-bodied Schwarber is known for his bat not his defense but could be an option for the Cubs behind the plate down the stretch if he regains his hitting prowess in the minor leagues.
The Cubs are probably not in a hurry to trade for outside help, but if they don’t think those two internal options are adequate solutions as July 31 approaches they could match up with the Tigers in an Avila trade.
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The Tigers probably won’t demand a king’s ransom for the soon-to-be free agent, but Avila has an attractive $2 million salary and has been one of the best hitting catchers in all of baseball this season with a .323/.439/.587 batting line.