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Detroit Tigers: Looking back at the trade that landed Matthew Boyd

By Bob Heyrman

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 23: Matthew Boyd #48 of the Detroit Tigers pitches in the bottom of the seventh inning of game one of the doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on April 23, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 23: Matthew Boyd #48 of the Detroit Tigers pitches in the bottom of the seventh inning of game one of the doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on April 23, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images) /
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Detroit Tigers ace Matthew Boyd entered last night’s ball game against the Houston Astros at Comerica Park ranked fourth in the American League in strikeouts with 63.

Although Jordan Zimmermann started on opening day to start the season once again for the Detroit Tigers, there is little doubt that southpaw hurdler Matthew Boyd anchors the starting rotation.

The left-hander has been nothing short of sensational for the Detroit Tigers this season.  Last season Boyd was steady for the Tigers recording a career-high 170.1 innings pitched. He allowed 146 hits while on his way to fanning 159 batters, an 8.4k/9 IP.  His WHIP was respectable sitting at 1.157 and an ERA of 4.39.  His record was a mere 9-13.

So far this year, entering last night’s game Matt Boyd had only yielded a fantastic .197 opponents batting against to go with his 4-2 record thru eight regular season starts.  He’s recorded 50.1 innings pitched to go with those 63 strikeouts previously mentioned for a tremendous 11.3 SO/9 rate.  He’s walked 11 batters which isn’t bad, his ERA before last night’s start was stable at 2.86.

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Boyd, now 28-years-old was initially drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 13th round of the 2002 MLB Draft.  He decided to return to Oregon State University and re-enter the draft the following year where the Toronto Blue Jays selected him in the 6th round of the 2013 MLB Amateur Draft.

Matt is signed through the 2019 season and then is eligible for arbitration.  If he continues to produce at a similar level, he has the first quarter of the season he is in for a significant raise.  He’s making 2.6-million this season.  He’s under team control until the 2023 season when he will first become an unrestricted free agent.

The Detroit Tigers dealt David Price to the Toronto Blue Jays back in 2015 for pitchers Matthew Boyd, Daniel Norris & Jairo Labourt (currently a free agent).  Boyd has excelled as a top of the rotation arm, but Daniel Norris is still finding his way.  He’s shown flashes of brilliance over the last couple of seasons’ but lacked consistency.

This year he started the season coming out of the Bullpen for the Tigers before he was forced back into the rotation due to an abundance of injuries.  Norris now has started five games for the Tigers owning a 2-1 record with a 3.63 ERA.  Although David Price is a thoroughbred, he’s now on the back nine of his career while both Boyd & Norris have yet to make the turn.

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Who knows how long before the Tigers decide to move these pitchers in exchange for prospects, the team is rebuilding so I expect the team to field offers on both down the road along with closer Shane Greene as the next crop of pitchers enters the Tigers rotation.  In two years I expect a much different looking Detroit Tigers roster.

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