Tigers could deal 'valuable' former Yankees All-Star at trade deadline

Tigers could deal 'valuable' former Yankees All-Star at trade deadline originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Things could spiral out of control for the Detroit Tigers while ace Tarik Skubal is rehabbing from arthroscopic surgery in his left elbow.

For now, the Tigers are in a tight AL Central division where no team has the upper hand just yet. The first-place Cleveland Guardians and fifth-place Minnesota Twins are separated by just 2.5 games.

Skubal's injury could force the Tigers to sell at this year's trade deadline if things go south. FanSided's Mark Powell wrote that they could look to offload a former New York Yankees All-Star second baseman.

"I'm a fan of what [Gleyber] Torres brings to the Tigers' lineup. They are not a very patient team in general, and did little to address that this past winter," Powell wrote Sunday. "The one thing Scott Harris did do is sign Torres to a qualifying offer, which the second baseman took after perusing the market. This means Gleyber is on an expiring contract, which could prove quite valuable to the Tigers if they're looking to sell off assets at the trade deadline."

Currently, Torres is on the 10-day IL with a mild left oblique strain. He hit .259/.389/.328 with two homers and a .716 OPS before the injury.

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"He's as steady as they come, and despite his declining abilities defensively, is far from a liability in the middle infield," Powell added about Torres.

For what he provides, the Tigers would love Torres to be their second baseman in what they hope is a run to the World Series. But there's no denying that a lot of teams will be looking at his expiring contract if Detroit decides to blow it up.