Weighing the Tigers trade market...

Its pretty clear to anyone who has watched a Tigers game this year that the team is going to have to add another piece to the roster if they are going to have any chance at competing down the stretch in the AL Central.

While they do retain a slight lead in the AL Central, that lead has lessened seemingly daily in the past week.

The need is certainly there for the Tigers to grab a player or two at the deadline. While the top end of the rotation has been tremendous, the back half is still doubtful. The offense has also been barren in its run production and with Zumaya's latest injury, the bullpen even looks to have some cracks forming.

With the trade deadline approaching, let's look at some of the Tigers top options in the MLB trade market.


Roy Halladay - SP - Toronto Blue Jays
2.73 ERA, 11-3
Halladay is clearly the best option on the market for a starting pitcher this trade deadline and is probably the best overall player on the market. With many of baseball's top teams on the hunt for Halladay, it would only make sense for the Tigers to keep one eye on Halladay.

Luke Scott - OF - Baltimore Orioles
.298, 18 HR, 53 RBI
A licensed Tigers killer, Scott has been playing noticeably above his career numbers this season. Scott would provide the power bat from the left side of the plate the Tigers have been searching for for years.

Adam Dunn - OF/1B - Washington Nationals
.265, 24 HR, 64 RBI
Dunn is the caliber hitter that the Tigers desire to adequately protect Miguel Cabrera in the middle of the line-up. He also provides the amount of power that the Tigers haven't had from the left side in a long time.

Aubrey Huff - Utility - Baltimore Orioles
.275 BA, 10 HR, 52 RBI
Huff would be another guy who you could hope would be an RBI guy behind Cabrera helping to protect him from being pitched around.


Obviously, trades are a two sided discussion. Near the MLB trade deadline, prospects in the minors become valuable trading pieces.

However, the Tiger's minor league system is depleted, after the trades of the past few years. With few prospects worth packaging in the minors, anything more then a guy the caliber of an Aubrey Huff would be a stretch.


A lot of what the Tigers do will also depend on what their division rivals do. It looks pretty imminent that the White Sox do make a move, so we have to expect the Tigers to follow suit.

I could see them potentially assembling a package for Halladay, containing Rick Porcello, Wiklin Ramirez, Cale Iorg, and a few others. However, this would further deplete an already desolute minor league system.