Scott Harris and the Tigers still have two big cards to play as Tuesday's 6 p.m. trade deadline approaches. With bidders lining up for Eduardo Rodriguez and Michael Lorenzen, Detroit might take it down to the wire.
Rodriguez is the hotter name of the two, a left-hander with a track record of postseason success and a career-low 2.95 ERA this season. The Dodgers are in "hot pursuit" of Rodriguez, according to the New York Post, and view him as one of their top pitching targets along with Justin Verlander, who's likely to be traded Tuesday by the Mets.
The Dodgers have a deep farm system featuring seven top-100 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline. That includes two catchers in the top 50 in 21-year-old Diego Cartaya and 22-year-old Dalton Rushing.
The Padres are also "high on" Rodriguez, according to MLB.com, though it's unclear if their recent acquisition of veteran lefty Rich Hill takes them out of the market. San Diego, which has also reportedly been in on Verlander, has four top-100 prospects.
Verlander's situation could wind up dictating what happens with Rodriguez and Lorenzen. With multiple contenders reportedly engaged on all three, some will eventually have to pivot from the three-time Cy Young whether or not he is moved.
Lorenzen has a strong market himself, with reported interest from the Orioles and Astros. The 31-year-old All-Star has a 3.58 ERA in 18 starts, including a 1.14 ERA in July. A pending free agent, Lorenzen is a sure bet to be traded by the deadline.
Rodriguez is likely to go, too, barring a late-hour agreement with the Tigers to renegotiate his contract rather than opting out this offseason. He's also drawn interest from the Orioles, the club that originally signed him as an amateur free agent 14 years ago. Baltimore's deep pool of prospects, which features eight top-100 hitters, meshes with the Tigers' need for more offense.
Question is: will any teams meet the Tigers' reportedly high asking prices or will Harris have to lower his demands? There's pressure on both sides as the deadline draws near. But in what's considered a clear seller's market, the Tigers -- for a few more hours -- can afford to be patient.
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