3. Detroit Tigers suffer through mediocre month, look to trade veterans
The Tigers were one of the best teams in the American League from 2011-2014. They won the American League Central, reached the ALCS in all but one, and even won the American League pennant in 2012. But things have changed.
Detroit entered play on Monday at 23-27 and it had previously been reported that it would make all veterans available if it didn’t have a winning record by the end of the month. We’re just not seeing that kind of turnaround.
Some guys from that 2011-2014 run are gone (Max Scherzer, Prince Fielder). Others (Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander) remain and are still effective but don’t quite have the stuff that they had during the glory years. Lastly, the team still has the same problems that it had when it was going to the playoffs every year. The bullpen is awful and the lineup isn’t that deep.
So, why would anyone believe that June will bring some kind of renaissance to the Tigers?
Now, whether these players can be traded remains to be seen. Some have no-trade clauses or 10-and-5 rights. Those guys would have to agree to any deal. Additionally, Detroit is a team with a massive payroll and some contracts that will be pretty hard to move.
So, dealing these guys will be easier said than done. Even still, we’re expecting the Tigers to be one of the more discussed teams in July’s rumor mill.
The 2017 season will truly mark the end of an era.