The Detroit Tigers have been slumping badly of late after a red-hot start to the season, and now they are looking to right the ship as the calendar gets closer and closer to August.
That long slump recently could be a silver lining of some sort for the Tigers. On one hand, they don't want to fall down the standings and lose all the work that they did earlier in the season. On the other hand, it also exposed some of the holes that the team has just in time for them to address them at the trade deadline if possible.
One of those holes is another powerful bat in the lineup, which is one of the big reasons why Detroit has been linked to Arizona Diamondbacks slugger Eugenio Suarez at the trade deadline. Suarez is one of the biggest names that is seemingly available before Thursday's cutoff, and the Tigers are right in the mix for him.
However, the Tigers also badly need bullpen help in the form of some more reliable arms for the late innings, which is one of the reservations that they have when going after Suarez according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network.
“The Tigers are said to be reluctant to part with top prospects to acquire Suárez given that (a) he is a rental, and (b) Detroit has more pressing needs in the bullpen,” Morosi wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
It also appears to be a seller's market out there, so the price for Suarez and his expiring contract could be very steep. Minnesota Twins closer Jhoan Duran was traded for two very highly-rated prospects on Wednesday, and Suarez would likely also command some top young players in return.
The good news for the Tigers is that they still have a massive cushion at the top of the relatively weak AL Central. They are nine games clear with less than 24 hours until the deadline, and still have a chance to make a big move to make the team better before it passes.