Detroit Tigers: Creating the next blockbuster trade to consider

Over the next couple of years, the Detroit Tigers will be looking to compete again. As a result, there will be an immense need to fill holes in the pitching staff and lineup, and the developmental system may not be the best for that. As a result, that leaves trades and free agency to hunt for the next stars. However, the Tigers have already committed a good amount of money to free agents.

That means the best route for finding the next Detroit Tigers stars might just be through trades. And really, some of the best Tigers over the past several years have come out of the trade market. Miguel Cabrera, Max Scherzer, Jeimer Candelario, and far more have been huge acquisitions out of large trades.

This is exactly why we are going to craft the perfect blockbuster trade to benefit the Tigers in the long run. Am I an expert? Absolutely not. I am an armchair GM trying to pass the time through this miserable lockout (NCAA D1 baseball opening day is Friday, by the way).

That’s the plan for today: we are making a solid trade that will fill holes in both the pitching staff and the lineup while making the team better over the next few years.

Let’s make a perfect Detroit Tigers blockbuster trade to benefit the future.

To recap that…

Essentially the Detroit Tigers will receive Jo Adell from the Angels and Brent Suter from the Brewers. The Milwaukee Brewers will receive Eric Haase and Gage Workman from the Tigers and Tyler Wade from the Angels. The Los Angeles Angels will receive Ty Madden and Joey Wentz from the Tigers and Aaron Ashby from the Brewers.

Now that we’ve got all of this straightened out…

Let me start by saying that I am no expert on the Brewers or the Angels, but generally, the two teams have been significantly lacking in hitting and pitching, respectively. All three teams are in different stages of the competitive cycle, but all three are looking for MLB-ready talent that should make an impact.

For the Tigers, this is a massive risk with significant upside. Jo Adell has yet to play up to his vaunted potential, but his career minor league slash line of .296/.356/.537 has shown his ability to rake against pro pitching. A change of scenery and permanent position not blocked by Shohei Ohtani or Mike Trout might help to achieve the true breakout everyone knows is coming.

Brent Suter is an excellent swiss-army knife lefty that the Brewers have used as both a starter and reliever in his career (more so the latter as of recent). He would pair well with Tyler Alexander in a rotating role as a swingman lefty that can start or close when needed. His acquisition would allow Hinch to flex his creativity and provide a much-needed southpaw for the staff.

On the losing end, Workman, Wentz, and Madden are all top-15 prospects (Fangraphs), with Wentz knocking on the doors for a major league role and Madden having the potential to move through the minors quickly. Workman is an athletic, switch-hitting shortstop with power potential and strikeout concerns. In this case, he can also be substituted for Colt Keith, depending on the negotiation process.

That leaves Eric Haase, who had a significant breakout this past year for the Tigers, but it is not one in which I am particularly high. His strikeout/walk numbers are concerning, and his defensive misgivings might mean he isn’t well suited for anywhere on the diamond. I say capitalize on his breakout and ship him off for potential returns.

Would this be an incredible blockbuster? Absolutely. Is it realistic? Not really. In this market, it would be just as sensible to expect to give up Jackson Jobe and other top arms for a return that includes such a highly-valued talent like Adell. However, this is simply a mock trade, and I am simply tired of the lockout.