There are easy decisions for Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila — like playing the long game between now and the trade deadline — and then there is the decision on Justin Verlander.
And after Sunday afternoon’s seriously bad performance against the Cleveland Indians, the veteran ace right-hander’s future in Detroit remains up in the air.
Verlander was the Tigers’ chic trade deadline pick last week, his value explored by Yahoo’s Jeff Passan with a number of other rumblings from national writers. And while other players like J.D. Martinez, Justin Wilson and Alex Avila are certainly safer bets to get moved by the July 31 trade deadline, Verlander represents the most sensitive situation for Avila.