There seems to be something special happening these days in the Motor City.
The Detroit Tigers entered Thursday with the best record in Major League Baseball at 29-15. They swept the Boston Red Sox at home in a three-game set to begin the week, including walk-off hits on back-to-back nights at Comerica Park.
Despite their hot start, the Tigers could certainly look to make roster upgrades between now and the end of July, when the MLB trade deadline rolls around. The most obvious place to look for change would be third base, purely because Jace Jung, who has 14 starts at the position, was just optioned to Triple-A.
However, one baseball writer is urging the Tigers to hold the line, and there are solid arguments to back up that line of thinking. Even if it means saying no to a 10-time Gold Glover.
On Thursday, FanSided’s Emma Lingan argued that the Tigers should avoid trading for St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado, in response to a hypothetical trade proposal from The Athletic’s Jim Bowden.
“Arenado is a five-time Silver Slugger, but at age 34, he’s no longer the power hitter he once was. He’s hitting at a decent clip of .253/.336/.396 (105 OPS+) this season, but that’s hardly enough to justify the $21 million he’s owed this year and the additional $31 million he’s owed over the next two years,” Lingan wrote.
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“If the Tigers are looking to add offense, especially at that price, they should aim higher than Arenado. Saddling themselves with that hefty contract for two more seasons would cost them (their) financial and positional flexibility.”
Amazingly enough, Tigers third basemen have combined for 3.0 fWAR, which is 0.6 more than any other team at the position. That number is a bit skewed because it counts Zach McKinstry’s time at other spots, but clearly, whatever formula the Tigers are using is working.
Still, it’s tempting to envision one more veteran with playoff experience walking through the door. Fortunately, the Tigers have more than two months to decide whether they want to take the plunge.
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