Latest Jeff Passan buzz alludes to Tigers teardown that should excite Guardians fans

On Monday, ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel refreshed their list of the top 50 MLB trade candidates.

While there weren't any Guardians players featured on the list (a far cry from last year when Steven Kwan and Emmanuel Clase were staples on the same list), the American League Central was well-accounted for thanks to the Detroit Tigers, who had eight players on the list. 

The biggest player from that group of eight was ace Tarik Skubal, who held the No. 1 spot on the list and had his chance of getting traded at 85%. 

Although the Tigers haven’t been much of a factor in the American League Central so far this season, they’ve always been lurking in the background thanks in large part to Skubal’s presence on the roster. 

But according to Passan and McDaniel’s reporting, it seems like a Skubal trade could be coming down the pipe. And if that’s not enough, it seems like a potential trade of Skubal could set off a pretty unprecedented fire sale. 

It looks like Tarik Skubal could be on the move at the trade deadline 

The other Tigers players mentioned in Passan and McDaniel’s article are Casey Mize, Gleyber Torres, Jack Flaherty, Kenley Jansen, Drew Anderson, Justin Verlander and Zach McKinstry. 

Coming into the season, all eight of those players looked to be veteran leaders for Detroit. But now they all stand out as trade pieces who could be on the move later this summer. 

The Tigers enter play today with a 40-50 record, which has them 7 1/2 games back in the division and five games back in the Wild Card with six teams ahead of them. 

While getting rid of Skubal would obviously close the Tigers’ current contention window, it makes sense given he’s an impending free agent who would bring back a treasure trove of prospects in return. 

Mize may not be on the same level as Skubal, but he was an All-Star last season and has posted a 2.64 ERA in 71 2/3 innings this year despite having two stints on the injured list. 

He missed almost a month between May and June due to a strained groin, but he made his return in the middle of last month and has a 1.32 ERA over his past two starts (13 2/3 innings). 

He’s also an impending free agent and is making just $6.15 million, so he’s a more affordable option compared to Skubal. 

Flaherty’s another impending free agent, but is in the midst of his second straight subpar season. He wouldn’t net much back in return, but trading him would free up a roster spot and give the Tigers a chance to see what they may have in a younger player. 

Last year the Guardians got the most of the Tigers in the regular season before losing to them in the Wild Card Series thanks in part to Skubal’s heroics in Game 1 of the series. 

That could end up being his last signature moment against the Guardians as a member of the Tigers.

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