The Detroit Tigers need an upgrade at their third-base position, and one former Major League general manager has a prediction for a trade that would get them one â a big one.
According to the former exec, the Tigers would send two prospects from the Single-A level for eight-time All-Star Nolan Arenado. The St. Louis Cardinals would also agree to eat a portion of Arenado’s remaining paycheck.
The Tigers made a seemingly miraculous charge into the postseason last year. On August 22, with just 32 games remaining in the season, Detroit sat two games under .500, and 9 1/2 games in back of the Kansas City Royals for the third and last American League Wild Card berth. Their situation looked hopeless. Fans were largely resigned to a 10th season in a row without playoff baseball in Detroit.
And then something special happened. The Tigers went on a tear, winning eight of their next 10 games. The hot streak continued as the Bengals grabbed 15 victories in their final 19 chances to earn a Wild Card spot.
Tigers Success Comes Despite Lack of 3rd Base Production
They made it to the AL Division Series round before the Central Division-winning Cleveland Guardians eliminated them. Even then, the Tigers did not go down easily. They took Cleveland to a decisive fifth game in the best-of-five series.
In 2025, Detroit has picked up right where it left off. Nearly seven weeks into the season, the Tigers own the best record in the AL at 22-13, third best in MLB behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres.
They’ve done it despite a burdensome injury list and a startling lack of production from one of their key power positions â third base.
Manager A.J. Hinch has divided the hot corner duties primarily between 32-year-old journeyman Andy Ibáñez, and rookie Jace Jung, the organization’s No. 4 prospect in 2024 â and 2022 first-round draft pick , 22nd overall, out of Texas Tech â who has so far generated an OPS of just .370 in 37 plate appearances.
Ibáñez has been somewhat more workable, but still far from adequate for the third base position with a .713 OPS and just 12 hits and five walks in 57 plate appearances (he has also been hit by two pitches).
The Tigers, it seems, were banking on a successful pursuit of free agent Alex Bregman. They made the former Houston Astros third baseman a reported six-year, $171.5 million offer , but Bregman shunned Detroit signing instead with the Boston Red Sox.
On Monday, former Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals general manager Jim Bowden, now an MLB analyst for The Athletic, presented his idea for how the Tigers can make up for missing out on Bregman. Make a trade for Arenado, the St. Louis Cardinals 10-time Gold Glove third baseman .
“Arenado has a full no-trade clause and has not indicated he would accept a move to the Motor City. However, perhaps the eight-time All-Star would reconsider the opportunity to join Detroit, a playoff team with one of the best and deepest five-man rotations in MLB,” Bowden wrote.
Arenado Would Need to Waive No-Trade Clause
The 34-year-old, 13-year veteran was one of the hottest trade commodities in the offseason, and at one point the Cardinals had a deal in place to send him to the Astros. But Arenado invoked his no-trade clause to nix the deal.
The Cardinals, who have openly declared their intention to rebuild around more affordable, younger players, may still be open to moving Arenado during the season.
If he agrees to go to Detroit, Bowden believes the price would not be high, and would center more on how much of the $52 million remaining on Arenado’s eight-year, $260 million contract St Louis is willing to absorb than on a package of prime prospects. (The Colorado Rockies, who drafted Arenado in the 2009 second round, still owe him $10 million as well.)
“Two low-level prospects should be sufficient for the Cardinals,” Bowden wrote, going on to suggest righty pitcher Randall and third baseman Rucker, both of whom are currently with Detroit’s Single-A Lakeland Flying Tigers. Randall is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the 17th-rated prospect in the Tigers’ system, Rucker as the 23rd.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us .
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Ex-MLB GM Tigers Trade Prediction Gets $260 Million All-Star as 3rd Base Upgrade appeared first on Heavy Sports .