MINNEAPOLIS, MN – APRIL 26: Michael Fulmer #32 of the Detroit Tigers. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
3 Detroit Tigers players who won’t be on the roster after the trade deadline
With Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic breaking the news that the Detroit Tigers are open to dealing virtually anybody on their active roster, including budding ace Tarik Skubal, speculation is beginning to fly all around the industry.
Entering the day, the Tigers sit at 39-59, 13.5 GB of the Twins for the AL Central lead and 13.5 GB of an AL Wild Card spot, effectively already putting them out of playoff contention. The team has a -118 run differential, third lowest in the majors, and a serious lack of superstar-level players on the big league team.
While a Tarik Skubal trade would be quite the jaw-dropper this season, that is one move that is unlikely to happen, at least not yet. The 26-year-old southpaw has had his share of struggles this year but overall has looked sharp and established himself as a true staff ace along the way. Trading a homegrown star in the making during a rebuild would be foolish.
Tigers: 3 players who are good as gone at the deadline
Relief pitcher Michael Fulmer
Michael Fulmer is one of the most obvious trade chips on this Tigers roster and he was even before Rosenthal announced the team’s willingness to trade anything with a heartbeat.
The 29-year-old had quite the promising start to his career when he won the AL Rookie of the Year in 2016 and made his first (and only, to this point) All-Star Game appearance the next season in 2017, but had largely fallen off the rails as a starting pitcher.
After returning from injuries and finally putting together a full season of health, Fulmer emerged as a bullpen weapon for Detroit and has continued his strong performance this year after being a reliable ‘pen arm last year.
In 38 games this season, Fulmer has a 2-4 record with a 2.92 ERA and 3.31 FIP. He has allowed just one home run in 37 innings and has been an oft-used, reliable arm for A.J. Hinch. A free agent at season’s end, Fulmer would give contending teams a solid back end of the bullpen arm down the stretch.
Best fit: New York Yankees
Outfielder Robbie Grossman
After beginning his career with three subpar seasons in a Houston Astros uniform, Robbie Grossman has quietly established himself as a solid fourth outfielder in the big leagues. After three years with the Twins and two more with the Athletics, he has spent the last two seasons in Detroit.
The 32-year-old Grossman is also a free agent at season’s end. His best fit on any team would be as a bench bat and an oft-used fourth outfielder. His performance this season only further proves that, as he has just two home runs an an OPS+ of 73 in 78 games this year.
Grossman is a switch hitter but interestingly enough has some pretty dramatic platoon splits over the years, including in 2022. In his career, he has about two-times more appearances against right-handed pitching but eh has never been particularly strong against them, posting just a .233 batting average and a .362 slugging percentage.
Against lefties, he has just about 480 games and a little bit over 1,000 career plate appearances under his belt and he has looked much stronger; hitting .280 with a .418 slugging percentage and drawing nearly as many walks (133) as strikeouts (196).
This year has been largely the same story for Grossman, who is hitting .141 with one home run against righties in 212 chances and a whopping .365 against lefties. Regardless, he is a respected veteran who can play decent defense at all three outfield spots and would help any team looking for a fourth outfielder at the deadline.
Best fit: Milwaukee Brewers
Catcher Tucker Barnhart
Aside from Fulmer, backstop Tucker Barnhart is probably the Tigers player most likely to go at the deadline. The 31-year-old has been, well, awful at the plate this season; hitting just .208 with a 48 OPS+, no home runs and strikeouts in nearly 30% of his plate appearances, but he continues to be sharp on defense and would be a great backup catcher option for any contending club (Astros, anyone?).
Barnhart, a two-time Gold Glove Award-winning catcher, has remained elite defensively despite the fact that his bat has gone ice cold. As things currently stand, he finds himself ranked in the 74th percentile in the game in pitch framing.
Barnhart does have a club option attached to his current contract that expires at the end of this year. While he has been horrendous on offense, it’s not too late for him to potentially turn things around and get his option picked up by any team trading for his services.
Best fit: Houston Astros