Detroit Tigers will be aggressive sellers
Former owner Mike Ilitch wanted to bring a World Series championship to the Tigers. When he was in his 80’s, Ilitch made it clear that he didn’t want to be a part of any rebuild that he would probably not live to see the benefits of.
Unfortunately, Ilitch passed away before the 2017 season began. With his passing, Detroit’s organizational policy on rebuilding began to shift. The Tigers struggled out of the gate, and at the end of May they made it known that unless they had a good June some trades were going to happen. They didn’t have a good June, and while Detroit is far from the league’s worst team, it’s well out of the race. Even in a crowded American League Wild Card picture, the Tigers are fringe contenders.
It’s time to part ways with some of the veterans that have defined Detroit’s baseball’s team for the last decade. That means Victor Martinez, Justin Verlander and maybe even Miguel Cabrera.
Given that all three men have no-trade clauses or 10-and-five rights (which offer the same protection), that can be tricky. But Verlander has already made it known that he doesn’t want to be a part of a rebuild. It’s hard to imagine fellow veterans like Martinez and Cabrera differing too much from that opinion.
From 2011-2014, the Tigers won four-straight AL Central Championships, made three ALCS appearances and one World Series trip. But that run is over. Detroit has missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons and is well on track to make that three years in a row.
Expect a fire sale from the Tigers before the deadline.