Tigers Deal Upton, Signal Rebuild Is Ahead

The word Detroit Tigers’ fans have long dreaded to hear — REBUILD — appears to be official, what with today’s trading of slugging outfielder Justin Upton to the L.A. Angels. Forget about the pitching prospect the Tigers received in return, Grayson Long. Upton’s departure may be followed by longtime ace Justin Verlander, according to sources in the baseball world.

And the fire sale doesn’t stop there. Closer Shane Greene and usually dependable bullpen mate Alex Wilson are also reportedly on the block as Thursday’s midnight deadline approaches.

It’s a far cry from where the Tigers started the season. After posting an 83-78 mark last year, Detroit made every indication it wanted to make another run at a playoff berth with its core of Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler, Victor Martinez, J.D. Martinez and Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer.

(For more local news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Rochester Patch, click here to find your local Michigan Patch. Also, follow us on Facebook, and if you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

But J.D. Martinez got hurt early in the season and was later traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for prospects. Cabrera, who was coming off a solid 2016 campaign and with injuries seemingly behind him, is having the worst year of his career. Victor Martinez has also been ineffective and battled an irregular heartbeat.

It has all added up to a 58-74 record in 2017. With prospects of the aged group turning it around next season slim, General Manager Al Avila has, in essence, waved the White Flag with Upton’s trade.

When the team returns to contention is anyone’s guess. While the Tigers have several good pitching prospects like Beau Burrows, Matt Manning and Alex Faedo, most baseball pundits do not rate Detroit’s overall farm system highly.

After languishing for nearly two decades, legendary manager Jim Leyland helped resurrect Tigers’ baseball in 2006. Just three seasons after losing 119 games, Detroit went to the World Series, but fell to the St. Louis Cardinals in five games.

Cabrera arrived in 2007 and led the Tigers to several more playoff runs, including a 2012 World Series appearance against the San Francisco Giants. A steady decline has followed, however, and just how far the Tigers sink may depend on the deals Avila is able to pull off Thursday and in the upcoming off-season

Photo by Justin Edmonds / Stringer / Getty Images Sports / Getty Images