Tigers Face Big Trade Deadline Question Amid Another Losing Streak

The Detroit Tigers have been hit hard by the injury bug, and that's impacted their performances on the field over the last week. Entering the series finale against the Kansas City Royals, Detroit is on its second five-game losing streak of the season.

Defense hasn't been stellar, the pitching and hitting have been inconsistent, and the team morale feels very low for the Tigers organization through the first 10 days of May. But at the end of the day, it is still May, and the AL Central isn't the most competitive division in baseball, to say the least.

Detroit was viewed as a clear winner of the offseason, signing Framber Valdez, deciding not to trade back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, and adding to the bullpen by keeping Kyle Finnegan around and adding Kenley Jansen. All those offseason moves have yet to pan out.

Which leads to the way too early talk on whether or not the Tigers should be sellers at the trade deadline. One MLB insider gave his thoughts, but again, it's too early.

Insider Sees the Tigers Selling: Good or Bad Take?

USA Today's Bob Nightengale created a list of five franchises that could be sellers this summer based on how well they've played to this point in the season. Nightengale listed the Tigers as sellers, most notably listing Skubal as the most likely name to get flipped.

However, at the same time, the idea of trading Skubal feels too outlandish for the Tigers to do, even if they're a few games under .500. Getting him back at some point this season ensures hope within the franchise that their all-in approach will pan out; it's just going to have to be in the latter half of the season.

This is the first time that the Tigers have been in the Top 10 in payroll since 2016, meaning that Detroit has gone all in and meant it, leading fans to higher expectations. If the Tigers do end up selling, it would feel like they would be taking two steps back rather than the one step forward they anticipated.

One MLB GM was quoted in saying, “I just think they have too much money invested in this team to give up. I just can’t see them moving Skubal. They’re into this so deep," via Nightengale's article.

So long as Detroit climbs its way out of the hole they've dug themselves into, and does not fall more than 10 games under .500, fans should hold out hope that they won't be sellers. If this trend continues, Detroit could let some or most players go in a trade.

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