Detroit Tigers: Matthew Boyd struggling hurts his trade value

While the Detroit Tigers have started strong, Matthew Boyd picked up right where he left off, plundering his trade value.

The Detroit Tigers have started out the 2020 season hot right out of the gates in a sprint season, things have not started the same for Matthew Boyd. In a season where every start counts, especially which each game counting as just under three games in a regular season, every start matters.

Boyd has not skipped a beat, picking up right where he left off in 2019, struggling to say the least. Out of the gates in 2019, Boyd had the teams lining up as trade suitors with the start he had. Everything went downhill, leaving General Manager (GM) Al Avila to hold on to him.

The 2019 trade deadline came and went and Boyd stayed put with the Tigers and was on a downward trend for performance. Boyd made a total of 32 starts during the 2019 season, from July on he made 15 starts, where he was not the same pitcher he was in the first half.

More from Detroit Jock City

• Tigers Sign Manager A.J. Hinch to Long-Term Extension
• Lions vs. Bears Week 14 Opening Odds Disrespect Detroit
• Former Tigers Celebrate Jim Leyland Hall of Fame Call
• This Pistons Team Could be the Worst in Detroit Sports History
• 4 Free Agents Tigers Should Sign During Winter Meetings

His last seventeen starts, Boyd was 4-6 (Tigers were 5-10) with a 5.59 ERA, a 1.41 WHIP, allowing 87 hits, walking 30, and striking out 109 hitters over 83.2 innings pitched.

This is a far cry from the pitcher he was to begin the 2019 season where he looked like a completely different pitcher.

On the season, Boyd was 9-12 over 32 starts, with a 4.56 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP over 185.1 innings of work. During that stretch, he gave up 178 hits, walked 50, struck out 238, and allowed 39 home runs, 22 of which came in the second half mentioned above.

Boyd has started 2020 off on the same negative note as he ended the 2019 season.

Boyd has made two starts where his stat lines were as follows:

• Game #1 versus the Cincinnati Reds
  • 5.0 innings pitched, six hits , one home run, four earned runs, two walks, two strikeouts
• Game #2 versus Kansas City Royals
  • 5.0 innings pitched, nine hits, four earned runs, no walks, six strikeouts

Combining the two starts, Boyd has thrown ten innings, allowed 15 hits, eight earned runs, walked two, and struck out eight. He has accumulated a 7.20 ERA and a 1.7 WHIP through his first two starts.

It appears that Boyd is dealing with some issues whether it be an underlying arm issue or mental game. Boyd was working quite slow in his most recent outing, struggling to get out on the mound and get to work.

He commented post-game about wanting to speed up his tempo, be able to speed up his work on the mound to try and get the Tigers off the field and back in the box as quickly as possible. The Tigers had plenty of trade suitors for Boyd early on in 2019, but that changed.

Come time for the 2019 trade deadline, things changed, and after a lackluster duo of performances in 2020, Boyd’s trade stock definitely is not moving in the right direction. This rough start on the hill is hurting his trade value.

Especially given that, at maximum with a 5-day/5-man rotation, Boyd will only make twelve starts, throwing two away right out of the gate is not ideal. Hopefully, Boyd’s positivity can work in his favor, getting things right and allowing him to get back to the pitcher he was to start off 2019.

For the Detroit Tigers, the front office can only hope the team’s hot start continues, and for Boyd, the hope will be for a turnaround helping his trade value for a possible trade deadline sell-off.