The Tiger Beat: Let’s bust out of this rut

Time to turn things around.

Guys, there’s no beating around the bush. The last week has been rough. Swept by the Pirates? No one had that on their bingo card after the first half of the season. While the Blue Jays have been excellent lately, last night’s showing was abysmal.

It seems like an essential time for the Tigers to turn things around. With the trade deadline looming, each game the Tigers play (and each game they lose) determines whether or not the Tigers will make moves or stay pat. While the Tigers still have an excellent record and a slump is not a sign of the end times, it’s not a heck of a lot of fun to watch.

So let’s hope this weekend turns the tide.

Now let’s get into today’s news bites!

Detroit Tigers News:

• At least there was one highlight of the Tigers’ game last night. No report on whether it was the same squirrel from the May invasion, and if he was called up again to bolster the team. Let’s hope.

• The Athletic has linked Detroit as a potential trade destination for Eugenio Suarez , saying (among other things):

The Tigers’ most pressing need is in the back of the bullpen, and if they swing big at the deadline, that’s probably what they should address. However, they continue to be linked to Suárez as well as the Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado, who would need to waive his no-trade clause, so it seems they could want to upgrade at third. Adding Suárez’s power behind Gleyber Torres, Kerry Carpenter, Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson for a playoff run would be huge for their lineup in terms of power and balance.

• Bullpen moves.

AL Central News:

• Steven Kwan had a good week.

MLB News:

• Aramark employees have notified Fenway Park of potential strike action, which would be very bad indeed.
• Bryce Harper has hit his 350th home run.
• A trade deadline ranking and prediction tracker.
• Brent Rooker shoots down any suggestion he might want to be traded from the A’s.
• Which active players are most likely to end up in Cooperstown? A tier ranking of Hall of Fame odds . ($)
• A Venezuelan Little League team was denied visas to attend the Little League Senior World Series, the reason being cited as “a threat to national security.”
• If at first you don’t succeed, try and try and try and try and try and try and try and try again. Justin Verlander finally won his first game with the Giants after 16 attempts.
• Jesse Chavez, one of the most-traded players in MLB, has announced his retirement.
• Nick Ahmed has also announced his retirement.
• Trade season is moving!