They salvaged it.
When they walked out of Comerica Park well past 2 a.m. on Tuesday morning, the Tigers front office had in place what they had been seeking for the better part of the past month: A trade.
The medical records had been exchanged, and center fielder Leonys Martin was, in all likelihood, headed out the door the next day.
Throughout the summer, their players were not highly-coveted. Sure, Michael Fulmer was, but then he got hurt. Maybe if he could play right field better, Nicholas Castellanos would have been. But their trading efforts focused mostly on four players — Martin, Mike Fiers and Francisco Liriano — all of whom were signed for the very opportunity to move them for prospects at the trade deadline.