DETROIT -- Dawel Lugo might go down as an interesting footnote when the final story of the Detroit Tigers’ rebuilding efforts is written.

He was the first prospect acquired in the rebuilding process and -- until the coronavirus pandemic put the 2020 baseball season on hold -- he was at risk of becoming the first to be let go.

The trade on July 18, 2017, in which the Tigers sent J.D. Martinez to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Lugo and two other prospects is the closest thing to a start date for the Tigers’ rebuilding efforts.

Sure, the Tigers didn’t do much in the winter after the 2016 season, when they made clear that the free-spending days of old were over. But they didn’t start actively dismantling the team until the summer of 2017.

The Martinez trade was underwhelming then and doesn’t look much better almost three years later. But for the most part, it’s still hard to pass final judgement on the nine significant trades made by the Tigers since the start of the rebuilding process.

The Tigers have acquired 19 prospects, ranging from elite to middling. Five of them have reached the big leagues. Zero of them have made a significant impact to this point.

But although it might seem strange to say, the Tigers haven’t given up that much during the last two-and-a-half years to gain those 19 young players. Yes, there were brief rentals of great players like J.D. Martinez, Justin Upton and Nicholas Castellanos, but the only player under truly long-term team control surrendered by the Tigers was Justin Verlander. That trade, which will be debated for years, will be discussed in greater detail below.

Even when including Verlander, the roster of players dealt by the Tigers probably wouldn’t have been enough to turn them into playoff contenders in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Or even come close. And that was one of the reasons for plunging into the rebuilding process in the first place.

Finally, it’s impossible to avoid discussing money. Tigers GM Al Avila has consistently said that he was never under a mandate to dump salary for the sake of dumping salary.

But the pared-down payroll was nonetheless a desirable outcome for a team that was probably going to lose anyway. By a very rough estimate, the Tigers have saved about $73 million in salaries through their trades. That’s actual, guaranteed money off the books -- not phantom future dollars.

Has it been worth it?

If you’re the Tigers’ accountant, the answer is a resounding yes.

The view from the stands isn’t as clear.

But the nature of prospects is that, even in the best of circumstances, the overwhelming majority won’t make the cut. The Tigers don’t need or expect all 19 to contribute. But they’d like to see three or four turn into competent big-leaguers and one or two turn into stars.

Will it happen? Three years later, the jury is still out.

Here’s a rundown on the nine trades and how they look today:

Detroit Tigers right fielder J.D. Martinez (28) looks on in the first inning of their MLB game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Comerica Park in Detroit, Friday, July 14, 2017. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com) Mike Mulholland | MLive.comMike Mulholland | MLive.com

July 18, 2017: Tigers traded outfielder J.D. Martinez to the Diamondbacks for infielders Dawel Lugo, Sergio Alcantara and Jose King.

The Tigers were surprised by the weak market for Martinez, even as a rental, but they aimed to maximize their return with three infield prospects. Lugo is out of options although his chances of making the team as a bench player are now significantly better with an expanded roster. Alcantara has an elite glove, but hasn’t hit in two seasons at Double-A. King is just 21 and looks about 18. He was due for a full year at West Michigan in 2020.

July 31, 2017: Tigers traded catcher Alex Avila and reliever Justin Wilson to the Chicago Cubs for infielders Isaac Paredes and Jeimer Candelario and cash.

This trade had the potential to be a huge win for the Tigers when it appeared that Candelario could be a long-term starter. He’s struggled since his debut and was facing a critical 2020 season. Paredes is one of the Tigers’ top position prospects and isn’t far away from the big leagues.

Detroit Tigers outfielder Daz Cameron (75) takes batting practice during their full-squad spring training practice at TigerTown in Lakeland, Florida on Monday, February 18, 2019. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)Mike Mulholland | MLive.com

Aug. 31, 2017: Tigers traded pitcher Justin Verlander, cash and a PTBNL (Juan Ramirez) to the Houston Astros for outfielder Daz Cameron, pitcher Franklin Perez and catcher Jake Rogers.

The Tigers faced many hurdles to trading Verlander, including his big contract and his no-trade clause. (Not to mention the fact that the deal was consummated in the waning minutes before the post-waiver deadline on Aug. 31). When it was made, the Tigers were praised for securing three high-level prospects, even if they had to chip in to fund Verlander’s contract in 2018 and 2019.

Of course, Verlander has been an otherworldly talent since joining the Astros, while none of the three prospects have yet reached their potential. Perez, the top prize of the deal and initially ranked as the Tigers’ No. 1 overall prospect, has battled injuries and pitched little. Cameron reached a roadblock in Toledo in 2019 and would have been back for a redo in 2020. Rogers made his MLB debut last year and struggled mightily at the plate. He’s the catcher of the future, but expectations have been tempered.

Aug. 31, 2017: Tigers traded outfielder Justin Upton to the Los Angeles Angels for Grayson Long and a PTBNL (pitcher Elvin Rodriguez).

Upton had an opt-out clause after the 2017 season and, as it became increasingly that he would use it, the Tigers decided to take what they could get. Long has retired, but Rodriguez is an intriguing young arm.

Former Detroit Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler talks with customers while taking a shift as a waiter during the 2017 team's Tigers Winter Caravan visit to Hard Rock Cafe in Detroit. The restaurant closes for good Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019. (Mike Mulholland)Mike Mulholland

Dec. 13, 2017: Tigers traded second baseman Ian Kinsler to the Angels for outfielder Troy Montgomery and pitcher Wilkel Hernandez.

The rebuilding Tigers had no interest in paying $11 million to a 36-year-old second baseman, so this deal was a foregone conclusion. Montgomery will turn 26 this summer and hasn’t yet hit above Class A, while Hernandez is coming off a nice season at West Michigan.

July 31, 2018: Tigers traded outfielder Leonys Martin and pitcher Kyle Dowdy to the Cleveland Indians for infielder Willi Castro.

The Tigers flipped a cheap winter signing for a player who might -- emphasis on might -- be the shortstop of the future. That’s not a bad return. Castro is still only 22 and while he didn’t look ready in his debut last September, he didn’t look overwhelmed, either.

Aug. 6, 2018: Tigers traded pitcher Mike Fiers to the Oakland Athletics for future considerations (pitchers Nolan Blackwood and Logan Shore).

Fiers was another productive signing and while neither Blackwood nor Shore are upper-tier prospects, they could have provided some depth as early as 2020.

Detroit Tigers third baseman Nick Castellanos (9) blows a bubble with gum in the sixth inning of their MLB game against the Houston Astros at Comerica Park in Detroit, on Friday, July 28, 2017. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com) Mike Mulholland | MLive.comMike Mulholland | MLive.com

July 31, 2019: Tigers traded outfielder Nicholas Castellanos to the Chicago Cubs for pitchers Alex Lange and Paul Richan.

The Tigers went down to the wire on this one and weren’t overwhelmed with the offers (although in retrospect it seems that a number of teams could have used Castellanos’ production). Lange is a first-round pick who will now get some looks in the bullpen, while Richan is a second-rounder who had an impressive Tigers debut in Lakeland last August.

July 31, 2019: Tigers traded pitcher Shane Greene to the Atlanta Braves for pitcher Joey Wentz and outfielder Travis Demeritte.

The Tigers and other teams have long had their eyes on Demeritte, who has the bat but has yet to find a position. Demeritte had a chance to win a bench job in spring this year. The Tigers were very excited about Wentz who unfortunately had to undergo Tommy John surgery this spring.

Detroit Tigers Leonys Martin celebrates the win against the Minnesota Twins at a baseball game Wednesday, May 23, 2018, in Minneapolis. The Tigers win 4-1. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)AP

Complete tally

Players given up

J.D. Martinez (2.5 months)

Alex Avila (2 months)

Justin Wilson (1 year, 2 months)

Justin Verlander (2 years, 1 month)

Juan Ramirez

Justin Upton (1 month)

Ian Kinsler (1 year)

Leonys Martin (1 year, 2 months)

Kyle Dowdy

Mike Fiers (1 year, 2 months)

Nicholas Castellanos (2 months)

Shane Greene (1 year, 2 months)

Money saved (estimated): $72.7 million

Martinez ($4.9 million), Avila ($650,000), Wilson ($900,000), Verlander ($44.6 million), Upton ($3.7 million), Kinsler ($11 million), Martin ($580,000), Fiers ($1.8 million), Castellanos ($3.3 million), Greene ($1.3 million).

Detroit Tigers' Dawel Lugo throws out Cleveland Indians' Greg Allen at first base during the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2019, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)AP

Players received

Dawel Lugo

Sergio Alcantara

Jose King

Isaac Paredes

Jeimer Candelario

Daz Cameron

Franklin Perez

Jake Rogers

Grayson Long

Elvin Rodriguez

Troy Montgomery

Wilkel Hernandez

Willi Castro

Nolan Blackwood

Logan Shore

Alex Lange

Kyle Richan

Joey Wentz

Travis Demeritte

*For this tally, only guaranteed money is considered, not money that the players might have earned in the future. For example, the Tigers likely would have kept Wilson and offered him salary arbitration in 2018, but that amount is not considered in this calculation.

Note: Minor cash trades are not listed, nor are trades that are functionally waiver claims (like the deal that sent Matt Hall to the Red Sox earlier this year).

READ MORE:

As 2020 season hangs in balance, so do MLB careers

Christmas World Series? 5 unconventional ideas for what might be an unconventional season

Tigers’ 5 spring storylines left unanswered (for now)

The Miggy experience on Day 1: ‘Everything gets louder’

Ranking all 69 Tigers in camp on their chance of making the team (hint: Miggy is No. 1)

Cameron Maybin Q&A: Expect more dingers in Round 3 with Tigers

Give Tigers GM Al Avila an 'A' for winter work, but bigger challenges loom

Once the Tigers’ top prospect, Franklin Perez is only 22. Don’t count him out yet.

Justin Verlander signed a long-term deal 10 years ago. Should Matthew Boyd be next?

Can Tigers’ JaCoby Jones put it all together in 2020?

Homecoming for newest Tiger, who grew up as loyal fan

Justin Verlander was a vocal foe of sign-stealing. Then he became an Astro.

Tigers’ Al Avila says it’s his job to listen, even to critics: ‘I’ve got to have a pulse’