The Detroit Tigers should make a run at superstar outfielder Juan Soto

The Detroit Tigers may not be heading back to the field or getting ready for Spring Training as many fans will have hoped, but sitting around and talking about hypothetical trades will certainly help pass the time until something happens and the ball gets rolling.

When it comes to the Detroit Tigers, a “blockbuster” trade has not happened in quite some time. That could change, though, depending on how much the Tigers are willing to bet on the future and mortgage parts of this rebuild to compete now.

It’s not that the Tigers team as it stands could not compete, but they are still not turning the corner on officially being a World Series threat or much of a postseason threat. That’s where this entirely hypothetical trade comes into play.

While there has not been any news tying the Detroit Tigers to Washington Nationals superstar Juan Soto, there should be. It’s undoubtedly one of those “out there” takes, but man, would it be nice to watch Soto hitting tanks for the Tigers with Spencer Torkelson in the lineup as well.

The Detroit Tigers should look into acquiring outfielder Juan Soto.

It’s become known that Soto will get one heck of a payday in the near future. However, he turned down a 13-year, $350 million contract extension to remain with the Washington Nationals, boasting that he will ride it out and see what Free Agency brings.

He did not close the door on a return to the Nationals, but the Nationals’ bargaining power in trades just significantly dropped. This is where the Tigers should be looking to make a major splash, a real cannonball, into the trade market.

While no deal can be made today or until the lockout ends, the Tigers should get active when the time comes. Soto is a generational talent, and there is no question that he would bring an immediate positive impact to this team’s lineup.

While he would need to sign a massive extension, the trade-and-sign idea would lock up another generational star as the Miguel Cabrera era starts to become something of the past. The price is going to be incredibly high, there is no doubt there, but the Tigers can do it.

Making a bold statement in the trade market is going to take a lot, so let’s look at what a hypothetical offer would look like.

The Tigers would have to sell out to an extent. The hypothetical trade I put together has the Tigers giving up Riley Greene, Jackson Jobe, Wenceel Perez, and Daniel Cabrera. It’s a heavy prospect investment with the door being shut on Greene and Jobe before they even hit the big leagues.

Greene has a chance to be an exceptional talent for the Tigers, but giving up on him and Jobe to bring in Soto has to at least deserve some thought. Trading Jobe is definitely something to discuss and is easier to stomach.

While the reality of this deal happening is next to zero, with these players or not, the idea is entertaining to think about. Soto would bring some exceptional talent to the roster and deserves the front office to kick the tires on what it might take to acquire him.