(l) Jose Iglesias and Justin Verlander
Jose Iglesias, left, and Justin Verlander
Update: 10:10 a.m., Sunday: Rumors had been heating up in recent days that Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander night be headed to the Los Angeles Dodgers before the Monday trade deadline.
Now, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag reports:
Barring a crazy, last-second turnabout, iconic Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander will remain in Detroit after Monday’s trade deadline.
There’s been a lot of speculation about Verlander since the Tigers are conducting a sale, but sources say it would take a miracle for him to change teams.
Rival teams simply want no part of a contract that pays Verlander $28 million per year through 2019, people familiar with the situation say. And while there have been some public suggestions the Tigers would consider paying some of it, the contract remains an impediment to a deal.
No new word on Tiger shortstop Jose Iglesias who is also rumored to be on the trading block.
Original article Saturday:
Trade rumors are swirling as the Monday trade deadline approaches. Two names that keep popping up are Justin Verlander and Jose Iglesias.
ESPN's Buster Olney predicts Iglesias will be traded by Monday.
Kristopher Knox of the Bleacher Report writes:
Iglesias isn't necessarily a big-name player, and the market for shortstops isn't what it is for, say, pitchers. However, there are a few good reasons for teams to consider the 27-year-old. Iglesias has a career on-base percentage of .381, and he's a solid defender.
The Cuban is also young and can be controlled through next season. His contract has him slated for arbitration in 2018. If a team does acquire him, it won't have to do so exclusively as a short-term rental. This means teams that aren't necessarily contenders could be interested in dealing for him as an investment in the future.
Then there's Verlander. Bleacher Report writes:
One player the Tigers could trade who has generated some interest is Verlander. One team that could be interested in adding him is the Los Angeles Dodgers.
According to Jon Morosi of the MLB Network, the Dodgers are confident they can add either Verlander, Texas Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish or Oakland Athletics pitcher Sonny Gray.
Tom Verducci of SI.com thinks the Dodgers should think long and hard before going for Verlander:
The greatest risk with Verlander is that you're investing prospects and a ton of money into not just the rest of this year, but also his age-35 and -36 seasons. There has been some talk that the Tigers might pick up the $9.3 million or so due him for the rest of this year. Okay, but that still leaves a $56 million bill over the next two years, and for what kind of pitcher?
