Detroit Tigers trade rumors: Justin Verlander not likely to be traded ahead of deadline
By Matt Snyder
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander is not likely to be traded ahead of the trade deadline according to baseball insider Jon Heyman.
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander has been linked to several teams this trade season — most notably the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers — but it’s unlikely that he’ll be traded ahead of the July 31 deadline. This report comes via Jon Heyman of FanRag sports.
"There’s been a lot of speculation about Verlander since the Tigers are conducting a sale, but sources say it would take a “miracle” for him to change teams.Rivals teams simply want no part of a contract that pays Verlander $28 million per year through 2019, people familiar with the situation say. And while there have been some public suggestions the Tigers would consider paying some of it, the contract remains an impediment to a deal."
It was always a bit of a longshot that Verlander would be traded this season, but the idea that the Tigers would be unwilling to eat a significant portion of his contract in order to facilitate a deal is a bit troubling for Tigers fans. While offloading contracts is nice for ownership, the clearing of payroll does little to aid the rebuild process. If the Tigers are to build a sustainable winner, they’re going to need young, cost-controlled talent (like Michael Fulmer) to form the core.
Extra payroll could be reinvested into the team in the form of free agent contracts, but that would merely help keep the Tigers afloat as a middling club while doing little to help push them over the top in future years.
Perhaps the trade market simply isn’t there. Perhaps the Tigers are not getting the type of return they’d be looking for even if they did through in a big chunk of change to help offset Verlander’s salary. If that’s the case, then fine, there’s no reason to move a franchise icon just to do it.
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Heyman also points out that Verlander would be a candidate to be traded in August as part of a waiver trade. His contract will allow him to easily pass through waivers so he could be moved next month if a contender gets desperate for a big-name starting pitcher.