The Detroit Tigers were one of the most-talked about teams at the 2015 MLB Trade Deadline, especially with the team straddling the line between buyers and sellers before pulling the trigger on a mini-fire sale. With all that in mind, here's 3 Things We Learned About The Tigers At The Trade Deadline.
Detroit Admits They Aren't Going To Sign David Price Long-Term
We all knew it. The Tigers knew it, even if they weren't exactly saying it publicly. David Price was long gone before his contract year even began. The time was now to bring home a return rather than holding out hope for a longshot, and they made no bones about it by dealing him off to a hungry contender with a GM who basically was negotiating to save his job (Alex Anthopoulos). Toronto's desperation for relevancy gave the Tigers an exit strategy and landed them three lefty pitching prospects who all could play pivotal roles for the team as the years go on.
They Know The Reality Of Their Situation
The Tigers are only five games out of the AL's 2nd Wild Card, but that number is deceiving. The Toronto Blue Jays are playing like the '27 Yankees right now after a massive trading spree partly facilitated by the Tigers' offloading of David Price. Both the AL West-leading Astros and Angels have been crashing to Earth as of late, but there's still four other teams between Detroit and a Wild Card berth -- a massive mountain of contending teams any way you slice it. Detroit made the right decision by punting, keep their eyes on 2016 while restocking their farm system by dealing away walk-year players who may or may not have re-signed with the team (Price, Yoenis Cespedes, Joakim Soria).
Dave Dombrowski Made His Final Stand
Contract talks between Tigers ownership and the former Tigers GM were nonexistant before or after the trade deadline, making a (seemingly) mutual parting of ways seem like a beneficial two-way deal for both parties. Dombrowski will land on his feet elsewhere. Detroit, on the other hand, will bring some fresh perspective into the mix as they look to assess just what the heck happened to a roster that was pegged by many to be a runaway AL Central favorite.
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