Three Trade Partners for the Detroit Tigers This Winter

With the team needing relief pitching and several teams needing outfield help, the Detroit Tigers have several potential trade partners. The Motown team allowed 11 walk-off hits in 2026 and blew 32 saves, both the most by an American League team. Although their offensive core and deep starting rotation will be back for next season, the bullpen offers the best chance for the team to improve during the off-season. Here are three potential trade partners for the Detroit Tigers.

Logical Trade Partners for the Detroit Tigers

Texas Rangers

Although they finished second in the AL West, the Texas Rangers ended the 2026 season with a losing record and a number of questions going into the winter. One of the reasons for their struggles was due to anemic production from their outfield Corps; they finished with just 43 home runs on the season, ranking 28th in Major League Baseball in this metric.

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While Wyatt Langford remains an exciting player capable of powering an offense almost on his own, he struggled to maintain his health in 2026. So, the team is understood to be open to upgrading their outfield, both in quality and depth. The Tigers, meanwhile, have an abundance of outfielders on their roster with names such as Kerry Carpenter, Parker Meadows, Matt Vierling, and Wenceel Perez.

While the Rangers don’t necessarily have the type of high-leverage bullpen arm the Tigers would ideally want, they have a few interesting pitchers who could be available. For example, Michel Otanez boasts both a four-seam fastball and a sinker that top out in the upper 90s. Like Otanez, both Peyton Gray and Robert Garcia also have multiple years of team control remaining. Although the last two names don’t have the same kind of velocity as Otanez, each has more MLB experience. It would be a bit odd to see an outfielder-for-reliever swap, but Vierling only has one season of team control remaining, so the miserly Scott Harris may be open to exploring such an option.

Philadelphia Phillies

Unlike the first of the potential trade partners for the Tigers, the Philadelphia Phillies aren’t an American League team, which makes any trade more palatable. Much like the Rangers, meanwhile, Philadelphia struggled to get offensive production from their outfielders in 2026, and they have a few interesting relievers who might help the Tigers next season.

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Brandon Marsh was one of the best players in the game in the first half of the season, but struggled badly in the second half. Adolis Garcia, despite giving his team good defense in right field, struggled at the plate for yet another season. This is another team that could benefit from the plethora of Tigers outfielders. While Jhoan Duran isn’t realistic, Philadelphia has some intriguing arms. Both Brad Keller and Orion Kerkering contributed with late-inning appearances throughout the season, and would make realistic asks for Detroit in any negotiations.

Keller, coming off an injury-shortened season, boasts a five-pitch mix including two fastballs in the upper 90s. Kerkering throws four different pitches, a couple in the upper 90s, plus has another three seasons of team control remaining, compared to the one for Keller. Although he is coming off an injury-shortened campaign, Meadows offers a mix of great defense plus at least some power at the dish, so he may be appealing to Philadelphia. Alternatively, the Phillies may be open to a reunion with Vierling, perhaps in a one-for-one with Keller.

Miami Marlins

The Miami Marlins have a long history of trading away players who are a year from free agency, which is exactly where Anthony Bender finds himself. He is coming off of a terrific season in which he finished with a 0.96 WHIP, striking out 41 in 34 1/3 IP, for a 0.9 bWAR.

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Bender likely would have been even more productive if not for two separate IL stints over the summer, and he has exactly the kind of swing-and-miss stuff that the Tigers bullpen lacks. If Detroit can come up with a player or package that appeals to Miami, they could make for very good trade partners. The Marlins would be looking for a piece or pieces for a rebuild, so they would prioritize team control.

Both Meadows and Perez have four years remaining. That’s not mentioning either Ben Malgeri or Brett Callahan, each of whom made their MLB debuts in 2026 and therefore have a full six years of team control remaining. Baseball mathematicians would point out that if such a trade took place, the departing Detroit outfielder would likely outperform Bender in terms of total WAR, so the Tigers would have to be cognizant of that fact. Still, trading a peripheral player who would be something like sixth or seventh on the depth chart for the next few seasons for a potential closer must be tempting.

The Last Word

This Tigers team made the playoffs two of the last three seasons and has a deep offensive core upon which to draw. Although the famous, or perhaps infamous, Tarik Skubal window has slammed shut, the team has to be aware that they are in a great position to return to October baseball as soon as next season. Between the trade market and the free agent market, the team has a great opportunity this off-season to turn a major weakness into a strength by bringing in one or more high-leverage arms. That is, if they choose one of the potential trade partners for the Detroit Tigers.

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Main Photo Credit: Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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