The Detroit Tigers’ season is hanging in the balance as a team that many thought would take a step forward under AJ Hinch has failed to do so. Despite being 16 games behind the first-place Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central and well behind the AL Wild Card leaders, Scott Harris and the Tigers’ front office have yet to commit to a full sell-off.
The MLB trade deadline is a month away, so the Tigers have plenty of time to make that decision. However, given Detroit’s recent play and the number of organizational holes left to fill, the Tigers would be wise to extend their rebuild and negotiate some rentals, even if fans struggle to cope at the moment.
Through the first half of the season, one of Detroit’s only bright spots has been the rotation. Tarik Skubal is one of the best starters in all of baseball. The Tigers should keep Skubal at point guard and perhaps negotiate a contract extension after the season. Jack Flaherty, on the other hand, should be traded regardless of what Detroit does between now and the end of July.
When the Tigers signed Flaherty this winter to a one-year contract, it became clear that they were likely to deal him at the trade deadline if Detroit fell out of contention for one of the American League’s three wild-card spots. The Tigers are eight games behind the Royals for the third and final wild card spot. What are we waiting for?
Harris inherited a deeply flawed team thanks to former general manager Al Avila. While fans have grown impatient with his lack of communication and direction, holding on to Flaherty on a one-year deal would be an unforgivable trade deadline strategy. So far this season, the right-hander has racked up 2.1 WAR and 3.24 ERA, looking very similar to his former All-Star self. He should be one of the top starting pitchers available in late July, and Harris could parlay that into a big return, even as a rental player.
Last season, the St. Louis Cardinals faced a similar situation, albeit with a much less successful version of Flaherty. The Cardinals traded Flaherty to the Baltimore Orioles for a package of MLB-ready prospects while they still had a chance.
While I would advise Harris not to take too much advice from John Mozeliak, in this case the Cardinals were right in their assessment of the major league roster. Mozeliak took the retooling route and now St. Louis is competing for a wild-card spot in the National League.
Extending the Tigers’ rebuild will be painful, as the fans are hungry for a winner. However, 2024 is not their year, and that is obvious.
