The Detroit Tigers are currently vying for an American League Pennant. It has been a battle of pitching in a tight series with the Seattle Mariners. Neither the Mariners nor the Tigers’ bats have really gotten going.
While Detroit continues to fight for its first World Series victory since 1984, the Tigers’ front office will consider moves that can be made this offseason. At the top of the wishlist of types of players the Tigers need is another infielder. Down the stretch of the regular season, Detroit struggled to find consistent offense from its infielders.
Javier Baez and Zack McKinstry were both named all-stars, but slowed down in terms of offensive production in the last couple of months.
Should the Tigers Trade for Oneil Cruz?
Would the Tigers consider pulling off this blockbuster trade proposal for the Pittsburgh Pirates‘ Oneil Cruz?
Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer recently released a predictions piece for realistic trade ideas this offseason, and he names Oneil Cruz as a candidate for the Tigers:
“As Cruz is coming off an NL-high 38 stolen bases to go with 20 homers, he should be on the Tigers’ radar this winter for his dynamic tools. They could also just plain stand to upgrade in the outfield, at least until Max Clark comes along in 2027 or so.”
Here are the prospects of the deal as well:
“Trade Proposal: Detroit Tigers get CF Oneil Cruz; Pittsburgh Pirates get C/1B Josue Briceño (Tigers No. 4)”
This simple player for prospect trade idea makes a lot of sense for the Detroit Tigers, who, Rymer noted, ranked in the bottom five in the AL in terms of steals for a fourth straight season. This season, the Tigers ranked dead last in all of MLB with just 61 steals as a group.
As far as giving away top prospect Josue Briceño, Detroit already has a first baseman in Spencer Torkelson, and realistically, there may not be room in the future Tigers lineup for their No. 4 prospect.
Tigers Have a Win-Now Mentality
The time is now for the Detroit Tigers. While they still have Tarik Skubal and a handful of solid core players, they aim to be AL contenders for years to come.
Cruz may have a tougher time finding his power stroke in Detroit’s large ballpark, but his steal factor alone is enough to make a deal like this. Cruz is also not a guy who will hit for a high average.
After a solid 2024 campaign where Cruz posted a 114 OPS+, he took a step back this season with an OPS+ of 87. That is likely because his average went from .259 to .200 this season compared to last.
The Pirates reportedly took calls on Cruz at this year’s deadline but could not find a good fit. Cruz may be a more attractive target in the winter months when front office executives will be chomping at the bit to make improvements to their respective rosters.
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