Links: It’s not all gloom and doom

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It’s all about the trade deadline and the upcoming prospects these days.

The 2019 Detroit Tigers squad stinks. Sitting at the bottom of the American League Central division and with only one win in five games since the All-Star break, there is really no other way to put it. However, life continues to go on for the fans and the organization.

In the meantime, there is still the trade deadline and the prospects down on the farm to pay attention to. This midweek links edition will cover some of the latest rankings of the team’s prospects as well as some potential trade scenarios, including dealing Niko Goodrum . Buckle up, because it is going to be a bumpy ride.

The road to Detroit

Anthony Fenech gives his midseason prospect rankings as well as their projected arrival times in this piece from the Detroit Free Press. Much like yours truly and another member of the Bless You Boys staff, he has Matt Manning listed as his top prospect list, with his ascension to the big league club estimated at 2020.

He rounds out his top five with Casey Mize in the second slot, Isaac Paredes at No. 3, 2019 first round pick Riley Greene in fourth, and topped off with Daz Cameron to round out the top prospect tier. With Cameron predicted to see big league time this September, along with Mize’s and Paredes’ debuts in 2020, Tigers fans can expect to see the fruits of the farm sooner than later. Greene is expected to make it to Detroit in 2023.

Trade deadline wishlist

Cody Stavenhagen over at The Athletic elaborates on his prospect wishlist with the impending trade deadline just around the corner. With Matthew Boyd , Shane Greene , Nicholas Castellanos and Joe Jimenez all considered trade-bait at this point, anything is possible.

The list includes highly-touted prospects from Houston Astros , Tampa Bay Rays , Atlanta Braves , Philadelphia Phillies , New York Yankees , San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers organizations. All of the names listed from Kyle Tucker to Gavin Lux would be intriguing additions to the Tigers’ farm system.

Potential Matthew Boyd trade targets

On the topic of trades, the biggest name the Tigers currently have to offer is Matthew Boyd , who is in the midst of a breakout season. Even with his recent bout with homeritis, he still has a nice shine and carries plenty of club control — there is not reason to settle for an underwhelming offer for him.

Longtime Bless You Boys community member David Tokarz gives us his take on players who could potentially be traded for the blooming lefty. He does a fantastic job listing the various organizations and players that Boyd could bring back, much more in-depth than the previously listed article. At the end of the day, the most important part of a return for the Tigers’ current ace would be in the form of an impact bat — something the system is sorely in need of.

Should the Tigers trade Niko Goodrum?

Jules Posner over at Forbes has presented a less-than-modest proposal : that the Tigers should trade Niko Goodrum while his stock is high. The largely unpopular opinion is backed by numbers that suggest he has been used improperly, resulting in some instability in his performance at the plate.

As a switch-hitting utility player with a plus speed tool, Goodrum has a lot to offer to teams looking for a glue guy. As he could be considered a poor-man’s Ben Zobrist , it is possible that he could fetch a decent return in a trade, especially with the amount of team control he has remaining. It might not be a popular move with the fanbase, but for the right pieces it could be worth dangling him out there.

Around the horn

A case for Bill Freehan for the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame . Tarik Skubal continues to impress . Riley Greene continues to roll along . Tigers prospect Kingston Liniak goes the extra mile . Tuesday night’s start by Ryan Carpenter feels like a low point .

Doom and gloom

Even the heavens cannot take the Tigers’ performance on the field.