Detroit Tigers: Reliever José Cisnero is trade bait at this point
By Tyler Kotila
The Detroit Tigers are playing some halfway decent baseball which may be shocking to some, but it does help them shop some players as the trade deadline approaches. The calendar has flipped over to July, and in a few weeks, the 2021 MLB trade deadline will come and go; the Tigers need to be active.
However, the Detroit Tigers may not be active at the trade deadline, which is tough to swallow. With General Manager (GM) Al Avila’s comments on the trade deadline, they may not be active. Since players like José Cisnero and Matthew Boyd are playing at a trade-able level, the Tigers are stupid not to make a move.
Cisnero has been on a roll and is showcasing himself as trade bait as the season continues. The Tigers would be silly not to flip the veteran reliever for whatever they can get at the trade deadline. The team may not be bringing in high-level prospects, but moving Cisnero would be great.
The 2021 season has treated Cisnero well, and the way he is pitching, there may be some trade interest who need a cheap bullpen arm. Not every player can go out and afford the big-name relievers or pitchers, so playing the market and getting the best value arm is a good move.
Detroit Tigers reliever José Cisnero is looking great as trade bait with the approaching deadline.
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After a bit of a hiatus from the big leagues, the former Houston Astros arm rejoined the Tigers in the 2019 season.
Cisnero has gotten progressively better as the years have gone on, and in 2021 he has been great on the mound for the Tigers.
So far this season, Cisnero has logged 37 games where he has 35.0 innings pitched with a 2.83 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. He’s also managed to punch out 44 hitters while only surrendering 12 walks on the season.
Cisnero has done a good job missing barrels, and when hitters do make contact, he’s kept it weak and minimal.
The strikeouts are up; his strikeout to walk-ratio sits above where he has been in previous seasons.
His HardHit%, courtesy of FanGraphs, is also down, sitting at 29.9%, which has dropped quite a bit from 46.1%, which he had in 2020 in just a few fewer innings than he has so far in 2021. With the success he is having on the mound, there are likely going to at least be a few teams who call on Cisnero to try and work out a trade.
If Avila neglects to answer those calls and stand pat, it should be viewed as a stupid decision. What good does Cisnero do for the Tigers? Provide a less than worse bullpen in a season that does not matter?
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There’s no reason the Detroit Tigers should not move José Cisnero at the 2021 MLB trade deadline.