Evaluating the pitching market + Ketel Marte trade ideas | Tiger Territory

Evaluating the pitching market + Ketel Marte trade ideas | Tiger Territory

and welcome in to another episode of Tiger Territory, part of the Foul Territory Network, a Tro Tigers podcast. I am Kieran Segley. With me as always, is a man who is very intentional with his letters. He is Cody Stavenhagen. How you doing? I’m doing all right, Kieran. I am ready for something to happen in the baseball world. Uh or let’s say the Tigers baseball world. Things have been pretty quiet. We’ll talk about it. The the one piece of news Ryan Hley did sign. He did sign this weekend when Kieran and I were at a football game. He just didn’t sign with the Tigers, so I didn’t really have to work. But that was probably the most interesting um thing that was on the Tigers radar. the most interesting thing that had really been reported and that I I knew for a fact was legit and it didn’t work out. So, as we head into winter meetings about uh less than a week from today, I think the big question is what are the Tigers doing? Are they going to do anything? What is next? And are we ever going to get to the point in the offseason where things start picking up? I think yes, I think we’re almost there. Uh but it’s been very quiet in on the Tiger side of things. You know, sometimes the baseball off season can kind of drag out a little bit as uh guys wait to sign contracts. And we’re going to be doing this for a couple uh people, I’m sure, that the Tigers are at least linked to or make sense for or whatever. We did it last year as well. Credit to Ryan, man, for just being like, “Hey, I found a situation I liked. I found a contract I liked. Hey, bing, bang, boom, let’s go.” Uh, in case you guys missed it, he is signing with Baltimore. It’s two years 28 million. I believe Jeff passen said there is an opt out in there after year one uh player option. Yes. So uh so yeah most notably he is signing as a reliever not a starter. As a rel which may brings up a lot of questions. Uh did he prefer to be a reliever? We talked about how he had said the right things in his interview with the Athletic, but he did kind of mention having more comfortability coming out of the bullpin pitching at the biggest moments of the game, quote unquote. Um, so was that his preference? The money 228. I see no reason the Tigers couldn’t have done 232 as a starter. I feel like there was higher future earning potential if he were to successfully translate to a starter. So, I’m a little surprised that he signed as a reliever when there were not just the Tigers wanted him. There were other teams interested in a starter. Uh the money seems in the ballpark, but I’m I I’m a little worried that the Tigers didn’t get this done. I think they are now going to have to pay up more for somebody else or I worry they could end up with an underwhelming starting pitcher acquisition. Uh well, okay, a couple of things there. I’m not I’m not sure they’re gonna h gonna pay up for somebody else. They might not pay up for anybody. Like is is kind of like the uh I guess the fear if you’re a Tigers fan uh is that they just like won’t pay up for anybody. And there are some situations where they could quote pay up for other uh other positions and and kind of go a little bit on the cheaper route with pitching. We’re going to be talking about those scenarios throughout this offseason, especially as winter meetings are are fast approaching. But yeah, this did not feel like an outbid situation. this did not feel like a uh a out situation situation like I you know Baltimore still has like obviously a lot of talent but they obviously underachieved last year. Uh the the Tigers are a team that I believe would be enticing to any pitcher especially someone who is signing shortterm and has flexibility and and uh and is going to want to cash in either next year or the year after that. So, like this feels like a lack of interest thing. It it can’t it can’t be a price point thing because this is like a pretty chalk price, right? I believe that’s what I said uh initially when when when the deal when the terms were announced. And then the uh you know, the fact that he’s going to be a reliever is obviously chalk because he’s been a reliever his entire major league career. So, there wasn’t really anything extracurricular, which is what we thought the Tigers were kind of trying to sell a little bit. So, I wonder if in addition to other teams as you mentioned, I wonder if this feels like a little bit of a like he just actually did not want to be a starter. Like you guys put out the the report out there, he’s like you said, he said all the right things. If the Tigers pursued him as a starter and the money was again in kind of chalk range, I kind of feel like it would and he was prepared to sign, I kind of feel like either a he didn’t want to or the interest just was a little bit more tepid than maybe we were uh we were analyzing uh from the Tigers side because this was definitely a doable deal in every facet unless they just it was starter or bust from the Tigers perspective. These things of course we will not know the full answer to. Yeah. And for the record I don’t have any real insight on how the negotiations with Helley went down other than that they did take place. Um it now makes me like I said just and the more I thought about the Helley idea, the more I came to really like it. Um the upside was pretty much unlimited to get a guy who throws a 100 and can spin the ball and make him a starter. I mean there’s really high upside. And now to come anywhere close to matching that level of upside, you’re either going to have to hand out a big deal, which the team may not be willing to do in the first place, or you’re looking elsewhere to get creative or budget friendly, likely without the same level of upside. Uh, that’s why I’m a little a little concerned as to where the Tigers are going to go next. Well, they’re not going to Devin Williams who who’s agreed to a contract with the New York Mets three years 51 million. So now the high-end reliever market is starting to shape up and you know guys are you know leaving the market uh which leaves players like uh like Pete Fairbanks who I believe it was I had on my notes somewhere it was uh Morosei I believe who who kind of floated out the the Tigers are in the Fairbanks sweep stakes and I went and asked Google AI what a good contract projection would be and Google AI said two for 18 could be two for uh two for 16. Okay. Because uh he’s you know he’s had an injury history, but he’s got a solid is not yet ready to run a baseball team. I think he’s going to get a little bit more. Well, so do you but you say you think he’s going to get a little bit more? Are the Tigers in on that market for like a Pete Fairbanks type? Maybe not. Again, not necessarily specific, but is this kind of like the tier that they have to target? Well, yeah, especially in the relief market. I think I’ve been saying the Fairbanks name since a couple weeks after the season. He’s definitely someone the Tigers have liked, have honed in on a little bit. Now, it sounds like they weren’t among the earliest aggressors in his free agency. Now, sounds like according to reporting from Katie Woo and others that Fairbanks about ready to sign. Getting close could be the next major reliever to go. Um, Marosi dropping that indicates that maybe the Tigers have gotten themselves back in this room and I think that would be fine. Um, I I never really expected them to pay for Devin Williams. Edwin Diaz still does linger on the market, but again they it seems incredibly unscottlike to pay a premium for relief pitching, especially when you could if you get Fairbanks and if you reup with Kyle Finnegan, which there does remain mutual interest there, you still have Will Vest like you you can feel pretty good about that. Uh, so I think that you to go to your point is like, well, what if they don’t what if they don’t get Fairbanks? Then what are you doing? Evan Phillips is out there, but then that tier of guys thins out pretty quickly. So I I think it’s important that they get one of these deals done, whether it’s starter, reliever, that they get something done pretty soon. The Finnegan deal is probably the easiest. And maybe Finnegan just wants to see what his market is elsewhere, but there’s talks. He could want something like two years 20 million. Is he is Kyle Finnegan actually going to get that? If so, I see I see why the Tigers might be hesitant. I’m not sure he will get quite that much. I think Fairbanks could exceed 20 million. Um, that’s all I’ll say. Fairbanks, Finnegan names to watch in the next week to two weeks. I think the Tigers better come away with at least one of those guys and better get it done soon. Yeah. Well, we know that the Tigers under Scott Harris have not been prone to market setting like that and and they typically do not want to. And I I bet you I bet you if this was in two months, they could have gotten like a Hell’s deal done. They could have got they could and they still might obviously get a Fairbanks done and a Finnegan done pretty quickly. I doubt these negotiations are all that complicated. It’s really probably just a couple dollars here or there. Somebody wants an opt out and then whether the Tigers are comfortable kind of be in the at the forthright of the market. They’re a little bit out of their comfort zone. The front office is right now with like things happening a lot really quickly. Even pre-winter meetings, uh the Cobb contract last year, which obviously was during winter meetings, was not a setting contract, right? So like it just it just feel Torres was later. It just feels like this is something that they’re going to wait on and either look like geniuses or to their own detriment. So that’s that’s just kind of my prediction. U yeah, I mean they signed Jack Flity, they signed Alex Cobb around this time of year last year. So it sounds like they like to see things move a little bit and then they’re not afraid to take their shot. I wouldn’t be surprised if that um plays out again for a third year in a row. And just want to make quick mention, they did bring back a pitcher Tanner Rainey uh on a minor and with an invitation to major non-roster invitation to major league spring training. So can’t say they didn’t bring uh bring in pitching. So just wanted to make note of that. We are going to take a quick break and then afterward we are going to get to our the best part of every episode our contractually obligated Teroo update. But first a word from our sponsors. I have a unique holiday gift idea. It is called Superpower because Kratz, they care about you. It’s a very unique health platform. It’s new and it finally gets you the answers that you need about what’s really happening inside your body and what to do about it. I got the answers. I’m on the journey of what to do about it. Why would I not want to give it to one of my loved ones in my life? Give your loved ones something that actually lasts. That’s right, Kratz. Better health and more time with you. If you go to superpower.com/gift, you get a free $49 premium gift box with your gifted membership. After you sign up, they’ll ask you how you heard about them. Please mention FT to support the show. One simple lab test measures 100 plus biomarkers. We’re talking hormones, vitamins, minerals, and so much more. You’ll get a full health report and a personalized action plan built by clinicians, including nutrition, supplement, and lifestyle guidance. Get after it, FT fam. All right, coming back here. TKO. According to Foul Territory colleague Bob Nightingale, the Tigers will trade Terk Scubble if, quote, only if completely blown away. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is your contractually obligated Teroo Bowl trade market update. And I don’t know about you, Cody, but I I just helped uh I just helped my dad take stuff down from the uh from the attic for Christmas or whatever. And he asked me that question just like my wife asked me that question, including you, while we were in Still Water, Oklahoma. And I’m sure you get that question a lot. And that’s pretty much my answer. So I uh I don’t have the inside sources of you guys, but that’s my impression. And that is our TK Google update. Be stay tuned for more next week. Yeah, we can probably just keep that on repeat. Um I’ll be interested like winter meetings. There’s going to be a lot more talk. There’s going to be a lot more chatter. Will there be any other rumors? Will it be a completely fake rumor if one comes out? It’s still early in this off season. We just we just talked about the pitching market. We’re about to talk about it a little bit more. there is a chance that teams may become more aggressive before this is all said and done. Right now, I feel um like that the idea of a scubble trade seems less likely than it was even at the start of the offseason just because the Tigers have shown no indication that they actually want to do that. Um only that perhaps they are here to listen. If a team actually ponies up a huge offer by the end of the offseason, I’ I’ I’d kind of be surprised, but it’s early. I think the Bob report is uh the proper way to look at it, and we’re probably going to hear that line of thinking a few more times before all we’re all said and done here. All right. Well, that, you know, stick with starting pitching here for a second. We know that that is I mean that is a it’s a need and that is uh something that hurt them uh in the second half of the season with the collapse and then even into the into the playoffs with uh with how they kind of had to manage everything. Uh you look at the starting pitcher market, Cody, it’s it’s it’s it’s guys that are like if you want one right now, guess what you’re going to have to do? What I was just talking about? You’re going to have to set the market. And we have we have a list of uh of of guys on on here if you’re watching on YouTube. If you h have not, please subscribe on YouTube so we can continue to grow there. And Wednesday, we did get the first ball to drop. Dylan C signed with Toronto. 7 years, 210 million. That’s an average of uh 26 per. And you know, we’re still we’re still, you know, there’s familiar names on this list. the Sherers, the Verlanders, you know, we’ve talked about uh we’ve talked about Suarez a couple times, Michael King. You know, somebody that we haven’t talked about, Cody, that that makes a lot of like sense in terms of topics that we’ve had in the history of doing this show, and that’s Framber Valdez. uh you know he he’s he’s no he’s not going to return to Houston and I know a couple Houston fans in my life that are uh of the good riddens variety but it’s a veteran it’s a lefty forever that’s worth uh he’s going to come like with because of his age 32 he might be a hair cheaper than some of these other guys there’s the Houston connection why are we not why are we almost like a self-reflecting question like why are we not talking about frer like what like is there any specific reason? Uh because it doesn’t seem like the Tigers like to hand out large multi-year deals, but that is the only reason we are talking about it. I think it’s completely fair to bring this up more. Uh you have a really good team. You have a playoff caliber team that could benefit from another frontline starter. Um assuming you’re going to keep TKO. Imagine a one-two punch of Trick Scooble and Frober Valdez or even Ranger Suarez. Those are two left-handed harms that could completely eviscerate some left-handed teams. You know, he’s pretty left-handed. The Cleveland Guardians, your biggest rival in the division. Um, I just don’t know if I foresee the Tigers paying that sort of deal, especially to a pitcher. There’s no real precedent for it in the Scott Harris era. Do they think it’s worth it? Um, when you could go a little further down this list and get someone for 2 years and 30 million, is it worth paying Frober 5 years 140 million? You know, are there character concerns with Frober? I don’t know. The thing with his catcher last year was concerning. I do think AJ Hinch has at least some familiarity there and sure uh does view himself as type of manager who can help smooth out such issues. But you look at the just going down this list, there’s Framber, there’s Suarez, both really good pitchers, both guys in their 30s who are going to command nine figure deals. Then there’s Michael King who the Tigers I believe still hold some interest in. He remember he was kind of Ryan Hley before Ryan Hley, former converted reliever, a guy uh the Tigers have had their eyes on since the start of this off season. That’s maybe the last remaining thing to make me feel real good. Now, Helley, this is from Fang Graph’s roster resource, which is a great tool. He’s being picked somewhere around the four years, $88 million range, which is not as much as it was, but it’s still kind of a lot. So, would they do that? There are going to be some other teams bidding on Michael King, too. You go down the list. Tatsoya Ei, the best pitcher coming over from Japan. He could he could be somewhat interesting. He throws a a splitter like the Tigers like, but I’ve talked to some scouts about EMI. The reviews are pretty mixed. Zack Gallon, can you untap something? Uh Chris Basset, Locus Glo, Mel Kelly, you know, go down the list. Tyler Molly, Zack Latell, these are all those guys who were the type of pitcher who’s on the market every year that maybe wouldn’t hurt, that maybe could help, especially um Jack Flity was kind of one of these guys not long ago when the Tigers unlocked something and got more out of him. But I’d say limited upside and some pretty big downside when maybe all those guys. Cody Pon, a guy coming over from the KBO, he’s going to get a lot of money. Some teams really like him. There’s been no word of the Tigers being on him. I’m a little surprised by that. like a guy who’s uh reformed himself uh you know refined his delivery in the KBO comes back over. It seems like some of the Tigers could be on old friends Verlander and Sherzer. I or maybe we’re not talking that about that enough this time around. Um it seemed like the Tigers didn’t have much interest in that this time a year ago. Maybe it was clubhouse stuff. Whatever. You have a team that’s coming off backto-back playoff appearances. If you need to plug a hole in the rotation, maybe that wouldn’t be the worst thing ever. But if you’re not going to get Frober or Ranger Suarez, I’d like to see the Tigers get a Michael King deal done. Otherwise, you’re just kind of rolling the dice on um any of these other guys in my opinion. Yeah. And the Tigers have done a good job. Good. I think that’s fair. Good job of of rolling the dice on on on these pitchers. And again, that doesn’t imply that they’re Well, rolling the dice. good job in rolling the dice does not mean that you’re, you know, rolling sevens every time. So, like, so is that true? I don’t play that game. Is that where you want? Sevens, right? So, uh, so, so yeah, if it was blackjack, I would have had a perfect analogy, but, uh, I’m not much of a crafts player. Alex Cobb was kind of like hitting on 17, I think. Oh, yeah. You can’t you you can’t do that. You can’t do that. But at the same at the same time like like what I think what I’m looking for and I’m sure what Tigers fans are looking for and and just you know baseball analysts would like to see is okay well they don’t do this they don’t do that. Well that made sense when you were 10 years without a playoff appearance and that made sense when you were like okay we just got this far. Let’s kind of see what’s what’s we don’t want to overextend ourselves after one playoff birth. Okay. Well, now you’re two backto-back game fives of ALDS. If there was ever a time to kind of be like, “All right, we can we can keep our core like principles while still kind of leaning in a little bit this way, now would be the time.” And then you throw in the school element there, like it it makes uh it makes all the sense in the world to me. All right, let’s uh let’s pivot from pitching a little bit here, Cody, and and go to another one of those, you know, reports out there. And, you know, again, shout out colleague Nightingale for for for putting this out there. He’s talking about the Diamondbacks wanting to trade Catel Marte. And he said that the Tigers are among the teams quote on the radar for acquiring Mart services. So, if you’re if you don’t stay up for West Coast baseball and and you’re a little bit unfamiliar with uh the situation with Marte, he is a he’s a he’s an infielder with utility pass, but it’s unclear exactly what that is for the future. He’s 32 years old. He is signed through 2030 at a very reasonable contract, 5 years, 91 million left. And he does has a have a player option for 115 in 20 31 which if he’s any good he’s probably going to decline that. Uh but it is again years uh years down the line. He is 13th among position players Cody in war over the past three years with 15.3. And if you look at his baseball soant page when it comes to hitting it’s a lot of red. It’s a lot a lot of red in there. And that would be a move that the Tiger that would feel sort of like a allin for these next several years type type move if the Tigers were to make that. So you so before I get into some scenarios here, what is your reaction to Marte and the Tigers being connected at all? And then we can kind of piece out like where and how it could fit. I mean, our guy Bob said the Tigers didn’t want Suarez to leave Detroit before the trade deadline, and Suarez walked out of those doors and and got on the bus. So, I I He did come back though in the postseason for the record. Just saying. He did. Um I’m a little more skeptical of this report largely. Uh I think Kel Marte is a very good player. Um sweat I think he could make a ton of sense. Except Gabber Torres is coming back. So, Gabber Turz plays second base. Catel Marte plays second base. Where would Katel Marte play if you traded him? You could move him around. He he does have a utility history. I’m not sure he’s been good at any of those positions other than second. He hasn’t played much third. Um, and you have Cole Keith and you have Zach McKinstry and you have Matt Fearling at third and maybe you’re still in on Alex Bregman or Bob Bashett. So, that’s all to say like it would get complicated. I think it would almost have to mean moving. You could still trade Glabber Torres actually, a Glabber or a Colt Keith. Um, but I think it would have to be a complicated trade in which case I’m not sure if it’s actually worth it. I think it made a lot more sense before you had Gabber Torres. Um, for sure coming back. Well, there’s a couple things there. you is is Gabber the same guy and the same stipulation guy uh go for 2026 that he was in 2025. Does he now see like because I’m sure they tempered the market before he accepted the Qo. So like does he now see like hey if I have a little bit of versatility can can that add to you know what would be like my last contract? And then the Tigers didn’t want him to play third base last season, just for the record. That could always change, but last year they did not think his arm would do well over there. Well, I mean, we have you have to kind of make some adjustments. That’s kind of the theme of this whole offseason. You have to make some adjustments to what you want or what you think is best or whatever if you want to take any sort of leap. Unless you just have such faith in your projections uh to to get you there, which given how the team hit at in the second half of the season, you have to uh tweak the formula anyway, right? So you might so you might as well this would this would like in be one of those like outside the box creative type moves to improve your team because there’s no doubt that Marte on the Tigers makes them a much more dangerous team. All right. And then if you and if you do have and if if you can configure an infield of of a Marte and a Torres and a Torque and then you know Bayas McGonogal you know Mcken Street in there sometimes and like Keith like it does not feel like an insurmountable thing to make work I guess would be uh would be my position on that and and and again it’s a very workable contract. He has his number one his best tools figure to age well. That’s the number one thing I was looking for. It’s like, oh, okay. Is he like is he a hell of a base runner? Well, actually, no. He’s not a hell of a base runner. He was in the 10 percentile in base running run value last season with a 29 percentile sprint speed. Uh again, there there is some vers infield outfield versatility there, too. So if you wanted to again sacrifice some defense, sacrifice a little speed and base running acumen, you could make this work. You would just kind of have to make uncomfortable decisions uh amongst yourselves as to how this would play out. But again, I would have thought it was probably some uncomfortable decisions to bring in Torres in the f in the first place last season. So um this just in from Ken Rosenthal. Remember how I said the Tigers weren’t in on Cody Pon? It’s probably because he just signed a three-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. Oh, so does that take him off the market or no? Uh Toronto making moves. The Blue Jays are good at taking people off the market. Toronto making moves. You’re talking about they going to keep keep on Hey, you have a taste of success. You didn’t get the ultimate. You want more? More power to them. That’s what That’s what the sport’s all about, right? So, yeah. Pretty cool. U pretty cool little live reaction there, Cody. But but I will say this, Marte kind of been the same defensive player if you if you go by defensive war, which I know you hate, but kind of been basically the same defensive player his entire career. So it’s not like there’s some sort of decline as he’s gotten older. And he was in the 74 percentile in range last season. So like there is still ability in there. But again, the bat would be the main thing that you’re getting. He does strike out at a high clip. He walks at a good clip both in the 84 85 percentile. Uh doesn’t chase. He squares up well. He has got good bat speed. All these things that uh seem to be appealing. Uh he he does. And so if if Arizona is willing to listen, I think the Tigers have a, you know, fully capable of making a competitive offer. And I have some offers. Cody, would you like Let’s hear them. Let’s hear them. I want to know what you’re sending over there because I’m I’m skeptical about about this whole thing. All right, I got three of them. All right, number one. They they want pitching, right? So, you gota you got to give value to get value. Troy Melton, Sawyer Gibson Long, and Max Anderson. So, that’s I think what we would say is a uh high-end potential starting pitcher, a guy that’s been uh you know, another pitcher, starting pitcher or reliever that you could use in multiple facets that is still young enough that you might be able to see if you can unlock something. And then friend of the podcast, I hate to do this because we talked about it, but Max Anderson, you gotta get it’s because it’s because I love you, Max. It’s because I love you. You got to like you got to give value to to get value. So that’s trade number one. I just feel like this is again controllable contract. Really good player. You got to give something. Melton is somebody that as high as high on him as I am. It’s it feels like that’s that’s that’s starting the conversation, but it would get there pretty quickly if you had a conversation with Arizona. I think Kieran, you are sending the Diamondbacks appropriate value in return. I just don’t think the Tigers would trade Troy Melton. I don’t think I would want to trade Troy Melton. You are going to lose likely Jack Flity, Casey Mai, Terk Scubble to free agency next year. Do you really want to trade your highest ceiling young starter outside of the ghost of Jackson job? I just don’t think I’d be comfortable doing that. And I think that’s fair. I think that’s fair. It It would definitely be a hard one, but if you’re the Tigers, do you make it Yeah. Is that a discussion? If they say, “This is what we want.” Is that you have a meeting about it? Um, I think it would probably tie into whatever meetings they had around the trade deadline when it sure sounds like there was talk of Melton and uh and maybe Suarez. So, maybe you’ve already basically had that meeting and you don’t need to do it again. All right. Well, there you go. Well, then then the negotiations if they uh if they do happen should start shouldn’t start from zero. Then uh next one trade number two for uh for the services of um of Catel Marte Kater Marty Witherspoon and Tyler and Loronzo. So that’s again a current starting pitcher, a high draft pick, starting pitcher who actually the Diamondbacks drafted out of high school before he went to Oklahoma. And Tyron Loronzo, a still high upside prospect whose shine has worn off probably uh a little bit. So that’s trade number two. Again, I I I like that you’re sending some stuff over there. Kater Montero, although maybe he’s expendable. He’s a guy the Tigers like a lot. He’s got some scouts around the league like a lot. Malachi Witherspoon, a fresh draft pick and a draft pick that the Tigers think could have a a pretty solid ceiling. And Tyler Ronzo, who maybe has a limited list ceiling, but he did hit 206 last year in double A. So, if you wanted to say, “Hey, we’re going to move on from Loronzo. Send him some pitching.” I don’t hate it. I don’t I don’t hate it. Um, you would have to be a confident the Diamondbacks like Loronzo and b confident that you were actually willing to move a player of Tyler and Loronzo caliber to get Katel Marte who is not a rental. I do not hate that trade. All right. And again, you got to I like Witherspoon, too. But it’s I I I think you go longterm, you go shortterm, longterm, and then, you know, sort of like a lottery ticket. Yeah. Somewhat. What are the Diamondbacks trying to do? They’ve kind of tried to thread the needle for a while. Monto can help you next year, but you’re you’re getting a couple prospects who are multiple years away otherwise. So, I’m not I don’t know if they would like that or not. I don’t they’ve been a tough organization to kind of peg in terms of direction for a while and they’ve they’ve been very good actually at threading the needle and remaining uh at least somewhat relevant and again like like the the way I approach these trays I guess uh a nice little PSA here is that like this is kind of what I would consider the core and then if there’s like another piece from a you know from Toledo that they won and then you know they also send over some some guy in high you know a ball you know double A you know whatever or just like this is like what I consider like the core of the trade and then everything else I feel like could be trickled out if there’s interest. So this one actually I say that and this one might almost be the opposite except maybe Arizona might have to send a little bit. Trade number three, this is we’re going to get help now and you’re going to get help now and we’re just going to call it good. Casey Mai, Colt Keith. So, infielder under control for multiple years. Obviously, ages are different, but that’s a swap. And then Casey Mai, a pitch, a starting pitcher, an all-star uh on an expiring contract. So, if if part of this is financial, this is this is a hell of a financial deal uh for Arizona because again, Cole Keith is on a great contract and uh he also opens up long-term uh opportunities for Marte depending on what they want to do. And then again, Casey Mai’s expiring deal coming off an all-star. Is this a sell high situation uh for the Tigers front office? And honestly, like we can kind of get prospects on the fringe and all this stuff. I would kind of say like this is this not take it or leave it, but this is kind of it. There’s not going to be a there’s not going to be a lot of heavy negotiations. Uh if this is offered in my opinion, like this is what we offer. We can rough out the edges, but this is kind of the core of it. Well, I like where you’re going with this trade because I almost think if the Tigers were to trade for Catel Marte, it would almost have to include Colt Keith. A Colt Keith is a player the Diamondbacks should like an ascending young hitter, has some defensive versatility. You are trading away a more veteran overall better player who’s a switch hitter who has some defensive versatility as well. The Tigers, would they do that? I don’t know. I don’t know that Scott Harris would trade Colt Keith, but to get a player who can maybe be of a more immediate impact in 2026, man, I see it. And I think it would make sense. It would suddenly provide a potential home for either Catel Marte or Gabber Torres to play some third base. It would make that whole song and dance a lot easier. Um, to actually get the deal done is Casey Mai the guy you throw in. I’m less sure of that. Hey, the Tigers Tigers don’t have that much pitching. Um, this would create another hole you have to fill in next season’s rotation and he’s only there for one year. So, how interested are the Diamondbacks? I wonder if you could do this if you threw in Sawyer Gibson Long or made it instead of Mai made it Kater Montero and Sawyer Gibson Long. Then you’re sending three players back from one. Is that too much for the Tigers? Depends on your scout on those guys. But I think a deal that included Colt Keith and some some form of pitching would not be out of the realm of possibility. Maybe that’s just because I like oldfashioned baseball trades. Um but if you really wanted to to do it, I think that would be the route to go. Yeah. And again, it’s uh you have to this ought to be a trade that if you send offers or if you even complete it, this is a trade that you should be uncomfortable with a little bit. And that’s okay. That’s okay. I saying in general, not just like what I because you’re going to have to give up something you like. Like this is something that you’re going to have to be like, “Okay, is it worth it? Double check the numbers. You know, talk to the scouts like what, you know, blah blah blah blah.” Like you have to make sure like I would I think and I think this is a trade that you would have to sweat out and that’s okay. I think sometimes when you make big moves you have to sweat them out and that’s okay. So and this is ultimately why I’m not sure it’s going to happen regardless. Well uh we’re we’re sweating out this offseason Cody. I can tell you that much cuz we’re trying to we’re trying to see if the Tigers are going to make any uh any any headlining news and and we’ll find out at least a little bit more here in the next week. We’re going to talk about more trades uh on Friday to try to, you know, see like does this make sense, does that make sense? Because that’s really what all we can do right now. Does this make sense? And then and then kind of go from there. and and we we have enough track record with this with this front office to say like it’s not like nothing’s off the table, but you can get creative with it because they have done it before. So try to get ahead of that market a little bit. All right, Cody, anything else before we jet out of here. No, that that covers it all. All right, you can follow us on X formerly known as Twitter Hagen. I’m at Kieran Stackley Potage at Tiger Territory Instagram, YouTube trying to grow there. So please follow, like, subscribe all of our pages. so we can continue to grow the show and go to tiger territorieshop.com. Thank you for everybody who purchased something with our Black Friday sale. Appreciate that. And of course, this shop is still live as well. So for Coach Steen Hagen, I’m Kieran Steckley. Everybody have great day.

The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen and cohost Kieran Steckley look at where the Tigers could turn next this winter with Ryan Helsley off the market. Will Pete Fairbanks be the next reliever to sign? Is there any way the Tigers could go after someone like Framber Valdez? Is their interest in Michael King still strong?

After that, the guys go into the reported interest in Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte. Could a trade for Marte actually make sense? Where would he play in Detroit? Kieran comes up with three mock trades to help explain the situation.

Tiger Territory is the official Detroit Tigers Podcast of the Foul Territory Network.

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