Tigers face new reality: They're ready to sell at trade deadline

Bob Nightengale | USA TODAY Sports

It's going to be awfully painful, and the Detroit Tigers sure hate to do this, but for the good of the organization, they simply have no choice.

The Tigers, barring a veto from owner Mike Ilitch, are going to surrender and be sellers within the next 10 days at the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

For the first time since 2008, the Tigers have no choice but to inform teams that two of their marquee commodities will be dealt by the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

The Tigers, according to several people inside and outside the organization familiar with their strategy, plan to put ace David Price and power-hitting outfielder Yoenis Cespedes on the trade market.

Yet, when contacted Monday, Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski told USA TODAY Sports that no decision had been finalized.

Sure, they were 45-46 entering Monday night's game against the Seattle Mariners, the first time they'd been under .500 after the All-Star break since 2010. And they trail the Kansas City Royals by 10½ games, which will end their four-year reign as AL Central champs. Yet, while they might be on life support, the Tigers are 4½ games out of the second wild-card spot.

So they'll wait as long as they possibly can, Dombrowski said, knowing the players will ultimately decide their fate.

"At this point," Dombrowski said, "our focus is trying to win right now. We're trying to do everything we can to qualify for the playoffs. Things can turn dramatically over a 10-game period. But you have to play well, at some point, on a consistent basis.

"We're at a point where we have to do what's best in our heart for the franchise."

Considering that All-Star first baseman Miguel Cabrera is out at least another month, Justin Verlander is struggling (0-3, 6.62 ERA) and they have no reliable starter aside from Price, Dombrowski is left with no choice.

He's going to have to walk into Ilitch's office, let the beloved owner know that trading Price and Cespedes will help ensure that they don't morph into the Philadelphia Phillies of the American League and tell his peers the words they've waited to hear:

Gentlemen, start your dialing.

"We haven't been in this spot," Dombrowski said, "for a lengthy period of time. No question, it hasn't been in recent years."

Yes, you've got to go back to July 30, 2008, when the Tigers traded All-Star catcher Ivan Rodriguez to the New York Yankees for reliever Kyle Farnsworth.

Why, you look at every trade deadline since, and the Tigers have been buyers. From Jarrod Washburn and Aubrey Huff in 2009, to Jhonny Peralta in 2010, to pitchers Doug Fister in 2011 and Anibal Sanchez in 2012, to Price and closer Joakim Soria last year.

Now, after giving up pitcher Drew Smyly, center fielder Austin Jackson and shortstop prospect Willy Adames to get Price from the Tampa Bay Rays last year, they think they can get almost a similar return this year.

Sure, you have two months of Price, compared to 1½ years of control when the Tigers acquired him, but you also have the prized pitcher on a seller's market.

There are more than a dozen starting pitchers on the projected market, but in a survey of executives and scouts by USA TODAY Sports, Price was the unanimous No. 1 target. Johnny Cueto of the Cincinnati Reds and Cole Hamels of the Phillies were considered the next most valuable pitchers, followed by James Shields of the San Diego Padres, Jeff Samardzija of the Chicago White Sox, Mike Leake of the Reds, Scott Kazmir of the Oakland Athletics and Yovani Gallardo of the Texas Rangers.

Then, depending on your taste, you have Dan Haren and Mat Latos of the Miami Marlins, Kyle Lohse and Matt Garza of the Milwaukee Brewers, Ian Kennedy of the Padres and Aaron Harang of the Phillies.

All will be free agents at the end of the season except Hamels and Shields, and the Padres could decide to keep Shields. It would make the most sense for Hamels to land with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have been overserved with prospects. The Dodgers would not only have Hamels for at least the next years at $73.5million, but it would provide protection if Cy Young Award favorite Zack Greinke exercised his opt-out clause and departed, voiding the remaining three years and $77 million on his contract.

Yet, no matter what transpires over these next 10 days, or how many change-of-address cards are needed, rest assured, Dombrowski says, this will not be a tear-down and rebuilding operation. They plan to contend in 2016, and as long as Ilitch keeps wanting to write checks to get that World Series title, the Tigers will keep spending.

"We have more good young players than people think," Dombrowski said. "We have a core of good young position players that are really going to be good for a number of years."

Dombrowski rattled off five of their everyday position players, none older than 27. Cabrera has battled leg issues for the last three years, but he's considered the best pure hitter in the game at the age of 32. And if they need more pitching help, well, the free agent market will be loaded with starters.

"We're not thinking of rebuilding," says Dombrowski, whose team has won two pennants with one losing season since 2006, "but if we have to, it would be a case of regrouping."

Certainly, any remodeling can get kick-started with the prospects the Tigers could lure with 29-year-olds Price and Cespedes. Price, a five-time All-Star, not only is having the finest year of any starting pitcher on the trade market (9-3 with a 2.32 ERA and 127 strikeouts) but he brings postseason experience after thriving in the AL East in his days with the Rays. Oh yeah, and he just so happens to be one of baseball's finest role models.

Cespedes and Justin Upton of the Padres will be the premier power hitters on the free agent market. Cespedes entered Monday hitting .292 with 13 homers and 52 RBI and a league-leading 27 doubles and, although he could be playing for his fourth team in 12 months, is well-liked in the clubhouse.

It's unknown just how much long-term contract talks progressed with Price or if they ever started with Cespedes, but with free agency two months away, it's unlikely either fit in the Tigers' future. Cespedes, a Cuban refugee, could easily wind up with the Mets, who are starving for offense.

Price ultimately might fit best with the Chicago Cubs or St. Louis Cardinals, though maybe not now. In the survey of executives and scouts, the common belief was that neither would make a strong play for Price at the deadline. The Mets might make a small move, but will wait until this winter before acquiring a marquee bat. Simply, they said, that if the Cubs can acquire Price this winter simply by writing a fat check, why give away prized prospects, too?

The Toronto Blue Jays, who have the best offense in the land, could be the aggressive team, baseball's executives say, acquiring a pitcher like Samardzija or Cueto, along with closer Jonathan Papelbon of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Houston Astros smell playoff blood, so why not trade for a frontline starter? The San Francisco Giants have never been afraid to trade prospects for help. The White Sox are expected to trade only Samardzija, but if they want to move first baseman Adam LaRoche, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cardinals are all ears.

And the Royals would love to acquire that ace for another October run.

The flurry of trade activity likely won't happen until baseball's lightning round, the final 12 hours before the 4 p.m. (ET) deadline on July 31, but in the meantime, Dombrowski might want to make sure his cell phone reception is working and that battery is fully charged.

He may become the homecoming king of the trade deadline.