At the trade deadline, the Detroit Tigers had two of the most intriguing trade pieces on the market: right-hander Michael Lorenzen and left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez.
Lorenzen, of course, was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies and, in his second start with the team, he threw a no-hitter against the Washington Nationals. He has since cooled off, as he has a 5.23 ERA in seven starts in Philadelphia.
But before trading Lorenzen, the Tigers almost traded Rodriguez. They were in agreement on a trade to send Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a package of prospects, but the left-hander invoked his no-trade clause and ultimately remained in Detroit.
Rodriguez determining what his future holds will be the key for the Tigers this offseason. But that is only the beginning of what should be an active winter in Detroit. Here is their offseason wish list, headlined by what to do with Rodriguez.
MLB Rumors: What will happen with Eduardo Rodriguez?
Rodriguez has three years, $49 million remaining on his contract. He holds a player option after this season and could elect to hit free agency. And considering his numbers this season – 3.57 ERA and 133 strikeouts in 138.2 innings – it would appear likely that he'll opt out of the contract.
Rodriguez has made it clear that he enjoys being in Detroit. That was underscored when he declined a trade to the Dodgers and he doubled down on that recently, saying: "I love the guys here, and I feel like they love me too… I know we have a really good team and we have a really good future over here with the young guys. I want to be part of it and that's why I decided to stay here too."
But with his performance, Rodriguez appears headed for a mega-deal in free agency, and could price himself out of the Tigers' price range. Of course, he values comfort and being close to his family, so it's possible that he could take less to remain in Detroit.
But the Tigers shouldn't get their hopes up for that scenario. Instead, they should start evaluating their options to replace Rodriguez in the offseason.
MLB Rumors: If Rodriguez opts out, how do the Tigers replace him?
The good news for the Tigers is that, should Rodriguez opt out of his contract, there will be plenty of options to replace him in free agency. And considering their success with Michael Lorenzen, that should be plenty intriguing to other free agents.
Perhaps the Tigers pursue a Jack Flaherty-type, a player who is immensely talented but has struggled to the tune of a 4.96 ERA and 146 strikeouts in 143.1 innings. He could be a candidate for a short-term deal in free agency with the hope of boosting his value and if that's the case, Detroit could be a strong fit.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, Flaherty's hometown team, could also be in play. It's also worth noting that Flaherty and Lorenzen share the same agent.
There will be other options for the Tigers to pursue, of course, with other options including Lucas Giolito, Hyun-jin Ryu, Martin Perez, Zack Greinke, James Paxton and Alex Wood, among others. There are other top options available such as Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery and Aaron Nola, but they figure to be well out of the Tigers' budget.
MLB Rumors: Exploring a potential Javier Baez trade
The likelihood of a Javy Baez trade is slim to none. But with Baez having a player option for the remaining four years, $98 million of his deal that he will surely opt into, it's something that the Tigers should explore.
The signing, even in the moment, was questionable. Baez is immensely talented, but has struggled to consistently put it together since his breakout 2018 and 2019 seasons. In his first season in Detroit, he hit an underwhelming .238/.278/.393 with 17 home runs and 67 RBI. This season, he's hitting .217/.265/.318 with nine home runs and 58 RBI, and was benched early in the year after a baserunning mistake.
A change of scenery could benefit Baez and get his career back on track. The money saved from a potential trade would allow the Tigers to better allocate those financial resources, a move that could get them back into playoff contention sooner than later.
But it's unimaginable that the Tigers will be able to find a suitor for Baez unless they eat the bulk of his remaining salary. The most likely option is that he will opt into the remaining four years of his contract and remain in Detroit in 2024 and beyond.
Grading the likelihood of a trade: 1.5/10
