The Detroit Tigers lead the American League with a 37-20 record through 57 games and are en route to capturing their first division crown since 2014.
Led by perennial AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, the Tigers have one of the best pitching staffs in all of baseball but Detroit still might need another bat to help push them over the top in the AL playoff race. Expected to be one of the most intriguing buyers at the MLB trade deadline in July, the Tigers will have plenty of options to help improve their roster down the stretch.
Below, we’ll break down three potential trade deadline targets who could help propel the Tigers to their first World Series appearance since 2012.
Rafael Devers
Rafael Devers and the Boston Red Sox are going through a tumultuous season and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the slugger find a few home at the MLB trade deadline. Devers was off to a career-worst start after moving to DH but he’s been one of the hottest hitters in baseball over the past month.
After going 0-for-19 with 15 strikeouts in March but has since picked up the pace considerably and is coming off of one of the best months of his career. He hit .365 in May with seven home runs, 31 RBIs, and an eye-popping 1.114 OPS. The Tigers have used several different players at the designated hitter spot.
Not only would Devers give Detroit a proven left-handed power hitter in the middle of the order but the 28-year-old has also been dangerous in the postseason, hitting .303 with eight home runs in 26 career playoff games.
The only problem is that Devers has developed a reputation as a bad teammate and is still owed $29.6 million per year over the next nine seasons.
Nolan Arenado
Nolan Arenado hasn’t quite been himself at the dish this season but could benefit from a change of scenery in Detroit. Through 51 games, he’s hitting .237 with six home runs and a career-low .701 OPS.
Arenado has been trending down since his career year in 2022, when he posted a wRC+ of 149. Since then, he’s been more of a league-average hitter at the plate and has actually been below average this season, as evidenced by his 95 wRC+.
However, he’s still a very good defender at the hot corner and would be an instant upgrade defensively over Zack McKinstry and Matt Vierling.
Yandy Diaz
This would be more of a gamble for the Tigers, who would be buying low on the Tampa Bay Rays first baseman.
Yandy Diaz is set to turn 34 years old this summer and is on pace to watch his numbers drop for the second consecutive season following his breakout 2023 campaign. Through 52 games this season, Diaz is hitting just.237 with a .669 OPS while posting a negative WAR (-0.1) for the first time in his career.
His career .176 batting average in 26 career postseason games won’t inspire much confidence in manager A.J. Hinch come playoff time either.
