The 2025 baseball season is flying by as this year's MLB All-Star festivities are scheduled for next week. The Detroit Tigers will play a pair of series against the Tampa Bay Rays and Seattle Mariners before hitting pause on a productive campaign that is seeing them boast a Major League-leading 57-34 record through 91 games.
The looming All-Star Game means it won't be much longer until the July 31 trade deadline is here. There's a good chance that several Tigers players will be on their way out of the Motor City in the coming weeks, especially if it means improving the club's World Series odds (+750, 2nd on FanDuel Sportsbook).
Although it might be too early to guarantee any potential exits, one Tigers pitcher is clearly a bigger trade candidate than his peers ahead of the MLB All-Star Week.
Tigers RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long is Entering Final All-Star Break in Detroit
Sawyer Gipson-Long is one Tiger who's facing an uncertain future in the lead-up to the MLB All-Star festivities and trade deadline. The currently injured right-handed pitcher is only 27 years old and is arbitration-eligible through 2029, making him a potential throw-in piece that could help the Tigers land a bigger game-changer.
Gipson-Long has been with Detroit since the August 2022 trade with the Minnesota Twins that sent former hurler Michael Fulmer back the other way. The Lithia Springs, GA native made his Tigers debut during the 2023 campaign, but fans saw little of him after that, as he missed all of 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, all while also dealing with hip and hamstring injuries.
After a lot of patience, Gipson-Long eventually joined the Tigers in June. Unfortunately, his long-awaited return hasn't produced the best results. He went 0-1 with a 4.70 ERA with 18 strikeouts in five outings (2 starts, 23.0 innings) before returning to the 15-day injured list with a neck strain on July 2.
Whether he's moved before the trade deadline or during the upcoming offseason, it's clear that Gipson-Long hasn't done much to secure himself a future in Detroit. If his medical situation doesn't improve and he continues to leave much to be desired whenever he does play, the Tigers could explore their options sooner rather than later if they're convinced his situation won't improve.
While Gipson-Long still has time to carve out a solid MLB career, sacrifices are necessary to win championships. If trading him means bringing a difference-maker to Detroit that will help improve the club's championship outlook, the Tigers can't hesitate to kick the oft-injured hurler to the curb.
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