MLB Trade Deadline News: Tigers Trade Wilkin Ramirez To Atlanta Braves

Just a couple of roster notes from last week:

• The Tigers made a move to acquire minor-league outfielder Brandon Jones from the Pirates. Pittsburgh will get a player to be named later out of the deal, and Jones was assigned to Double-A Erie.
• Jeff Larish, who was designated for assignment when Jhonny Peralta was traded to the Tigers, was claimed by the Athletics off waivers. He actually had 10 RBI in a doubleheader for the Athletics' Triple-A team, and he has now been called up to the big-league roster.
  

From the Tigers' official Twitter page:

Tigers have traded Wilkin Ramirez to the Braves for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Ramirez was designated for assignment earlier this week when the Tigers acquired Jhonny Peralta. They had to make room on the 40-man roster for Peralta, and Ramirez lost his spot in the organization as a result.

If there's one position where the Tigers could use an upgrade, it's catcher. Gerald Laird and Alex Avila have struggled all season long and are really a dead zone of sorts in the lineup.

Keeping that in mind as the MLB Trade Deadline nears, the Tigers have reportedly had talks with the Blue Jays about acquiring catcher John Buck, according to FOX Sports' Jon Morosi.

#Tigers have talked with #Jays, and catcher John Buck may be a better fit for #Detroit than even the relievers.

The Tigers have a few needs, including at reliever, but yes, it would be nice to add a catcher. Laird does a solid job in the field as a catcher, but he is basically in a permanent slump. Buck, on the other hand, is hitting .279 and has 14 homers and 47 RBI. Laird, by comparison, is hitting .186 and has only three homers and 16 RBI. I think I speak for most Tigers fans when I say this: Make it happen, Dave Dombrowski!

According to FOX Sports' Jon Morosi, the Tigers had interest in trading for Colorado's Brad Hawpe, but it doesn't appear that he will be moved by the Rockies. From ESPN's Jayson Stark:

#Rockies telling teams they couldn't trade Brad Hawpe right now no matter what. Might need him to play 1B depending on Helton health #trades

Although things can change in the next four hours, it doesn't seem likely if the Rockies are flat out telling teams Hawpe won't be dealt.

With the White Sox sitting in first place in the AL Central Division, and rumored to be looking for an extra hitter, they made somewhat of a surprising move as the deadline comes down to the wire. This afternoon they acquired RHP Edwin Jackson from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for a current rotation guy, Daniel Hudson, and prospect David Holmberg. 

Tigers fans are familiar with Edwin Jackson, as he had his best MLB season with Detroit just last season (13-9, 3.62 ERA) before getting traded to the D-Backs in December. Jackson, however, has been struggling this season in the NL (despite pitching one effectively wild no-hitter). Since his 149 pitch no-hitter, Jackson's accumulated four losses in his last five starts with a 7.24 ERA. 

There have been rumors that the White Sox traded for Jackson so they could flip him to Washington for slugger Adam Dunn. According to the Nationals, though, they are not trading Adam Dunn to the White Sox. If the White Sox can't pawn Jackson off to the Nationals for the power-hitting rental, they'll be responsible for Jackson's $8.35 million next season (barring another trade this off-season).  That's a hefty price to pay for a pitcher when the Sox had a Top 100 prospect giving them virtually the same results.

If the White Sox do trade Jackson to the Nationals for Dunn, they'll have to plug somebody else in at the five spot. If you're a Tigers fan, though, you probably should be hoping the White Sox can't pull that deal off -- Jackson is notoriously bad in the 2nd half and the White Sox lineup is tough enough as it is. 

There were questions whether the Tigers would even make a move after their recent struggles and there being just way too many holes to fill to make them competitive, but they went out and 'revamped' their infield anyway with the addition of Indians third baseman Jhonny Peralta: 

Tigers acquire Jhonny Peralta from Indians for minor league pitcher Giovanni Soto. #mlb

Soto was a 19-year-old left-handed pitching prospect drafted by the Phillies in the 46th round of the 2009 MLB June Amateur Draft. He had a 2.61 ERA in 82+ innings at Western Michigan Single-A this season. 

The Tigers also had to designate for assignment the contract of Wilkin Ramirez to make room for Peralta on the 40-man roster.

Peralta will give the Tigers a major league infielder, giving Leyland one less Mud Hen he has to plug into the lineup on a nightly basis, but it's hardly an impact move. Peralta is only two years removed from hitting .273 and 23 HR as a shortstop, but he has struggled mightily the past two seasons as predominantly a third baseman. In fact, Peralta has played a major hand  in a couple Tigers' wins over the past couple seasons due to errors. 

There's no word as to what position Peralta will play for the Tigers, but 3B seems to be the pre-conceived guess. No matter what, this deal leaves a lot to be desired from the forefront.

With the way injuries have ravaged the Tigers' lineup over the last week, the debate has shifted from who Detroit should make a move for at the trade deadline to if Detroit should make a move at the trade deadline. While the top of the AL Central standings are still in sight, the lineup is so watered down now with Triple-A players that one move probably won't be enough to make a run at the division. As a result, what is really the point in trading for a player if the end result -- not making the playoffs -- is the same?

Based on the all-around lack of interest coming from Detroit the last few days for players on the block, it seems that Dave Dombrowski and company may be thinking along the lines of, "There's no point to trade for one player when that won't be enough to win the AL Central." As if the lack of interest in many players on the market wasn't proof enough, a report from ESPN's Jerry Crasnick suggests that is exactly what the Tigers' line of thinking is right now.

I hear the Tigers will refrain from trading for an impact bat, because it'll take more than 1 bat for that lineup to be competitive #trades

Although all hope is not lost just yet and there is still a lot of baseball to be played, at some point it's necessary to look at the big picture. For Detroit, without Brandon Inge and Magglio Ordonez, the Tigers' lineup is just not good enough to make a run. That is even truer with Carlos Guillen currently on the disabled list as well. This lineup just doesn't have the fire power to overcome both Minnesota and Chicago, and it would take a few moves to change that. While Detroit could easily give up on a number of prospects and trade for a few players that would give Detroit a chance to win the division, it's not worth it in the long run.

Although just last week it looked like the Tigers were going to be one of the busiest teams involved with trades as the deadline nears, now I would be surprised if they made any major moves. No, you don't want to just give up and go down without a fight, but it's just as bad to not be realistic and think about the future. Unfortunately for the Tigers, being realistic likely will mean looking ahead to 2011 rather than the stretch run in 2010.

Every day as the trade deadline gets closer, it seems like more and more players are being crossed off the list of potential acquisitions for the Tigers. That's not because other teams are losing interest in trading them, but rather the Tigers just aren't interested in making a move.

The latest two players to scratch off the list are Seattle's Russell Branyan and Toronto's Lyle Overbay, according to FOX Sports' Jon Morosi.

#Tigers not pursuing Branyan or Overbay, source says. 

Branyan actually just returned to the Mariners' lineup after dealing with back spasms for the last week or so. Considering the last thing the Tigers need is another unhealthy player, I think you can take a guess as to what one reason is for Detroit's lack of interest in making a move for him.

As for Overbay, he is actually the man responsible for beating the Tigers in part one of Sunday's doubleheader. He hit a two-run homer off of Jose Valverde in the top of the ninth, giving the Blue Jays a 5-3 lead. Although the Tigers got a direct look at how he can be dangerous for opposing pitchers, they are not interested in acquiring him.

This tidbit of news (from Jason Beck) is not trade-related, but it's worth mentioning because there was some talk that the Tigers should go after outfielder Gary Matthews, who is currently a free agent.

Matthews is looking for a place where he can find a Major League roster spot, something the Reds couldn't find for him after 30 days at Triple-A Louisville. So far, the Tigers have not been in touch.

If the Tigers make any moves -- and there's no guarantee that they will -- chances are it will be a trade, not a signing. Dave Dombrowski would rather acquire a player who is ready to go from the second he is traded instead of one who would take some time to get back into form. Since Matthews is a free agent, the expectation would be that he would take some time to get back into playing form. The Tigers would simply prefer a guy that can hit the field ASAP.

Although the Tigers expressed some interest in Mike Lowell, who is finishing up a rehab assignment in Triple-A Pawtucket, it is now unlikely that they will make a deal for the 36-year-old, according to ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes.

Meanwhile, the Tigers sent two scouts to Pawtucket, including amateur scouting director David Chadd, who used to hold the same position with Boston. But over the weekend, the Tigers lost two key run producers to injuries, Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen, both players winding up on the DL. The Tigers are actively looking for bats, but one big league source with direct knowledge of the Tigers' thinking said it's unlikely Detroit will deal for Lowell.

The Rangers, the other team once interested in Lowell, are also backing off him, as they are moving to acquire a player from the Marlins.

If the Tigers do make any moves before next Saturday's trade deadline, it seems that none of the organization's top prospects will be involved if Detroit is trading for a player who is set to become a free agent at the end of the season.

Dave Dombrowski of #Tigers on Sunday morning: "Not trading our top prospects for a two-month rental."

One player who would be a two-month rental is Adam Dunn, as he is in the final year of his contract. While there has been talk that the Tigers are interested in him, I think it's safe to say no top prospects would be involved. Dunn is going to become a free agent at the end of the season, and there's no point in getting rid of your top players down the road for a couple months of Dunn or anybody on the market for that matter.

With Magglio Ordonez out for six to eight weeks with a broken ankle, the Tigers are likely going to need to make a move of some kind to replace his bat. The players currently on the roster stepping in for him are a pretty big drop off from the Ordonez we saw this year, and as a result, the Tigers now may look to the Nationals' Adam Dunn to replace him.

With the injury to outfielder Magglio Ordonez, the Tigers have "great interest" in Nationals first baseman Adam Dunn, according to a baseball source. [...]

If the Tigers were to acquire him, Dunn would be a designated hitter and play in the outfield. They already have a first baseman in Miguel Cabrera.

It's unclear if the Nationals will actually trade Dunn considering there has been talk of signing him to an extension, but I would be for this move if the Tigers could pull it off for a reasonable price. Not only would Dunn upgrade the lineup, but landing him would throw a wrench in the plans of the White Sox, which reportedly are "desperately" trying to trade for him. In this case, trading for Dunn would kill two birds with one stone, as he would help the Tigers' lineup and a trade would keep him from playing for Chicago.

Pitcher Dan Haren, viewed as one of the Tigers' main targets as the trade deadline nears, is officially off the market.

The right-hander was dealt to the Angels earlier today in a move that seemingly developed and came to fruition awfully quickly. Los Angeles decided to send pitcher Joe Saunders, two pitchers from the minors and a player to be named later to Arizona in exchange for Haren.

What does this move mean for the Tigers? Probably not a whole lot. While there's no doubt the Tigers were taking a hard look at a possible move for Haren, with the way things have gone lately, there's no telling if they would have actually pulled the trigger to land him. At the same time, there's no telling if Arizona would have accepted any offers sent their way from Detroit, as they reportedly wanted at least Andy Oliver and Jacob Turner. It's possible the Tigers would have accepted a move involving those two, but with the season falling apart, it may be best just to hold on to prospects like them and look toward the future.

ESPN's Buster Olney reports on Twitter that if the Tigers want to make a deal to land Dan Haren, they will have to send Jacob Turner and Andy Oliver to Arizona.

As mentioned before, Turner is the Tigers' top prospect and a top-30 prospect in all of baseball. He is only 19 years old and obviously has lots of upside and potential. The same goes for Oliver, who started in five games for the Tigers this season. He struggled in his last few starts before being sent down to Toledo, but he did show some promise during his time with Detroit.

It's not clear if the Diamondbacks want only Turner and Oliver for Haren or if they are simply part of a bigger package, but either way the Tigers are going to have to ask themselves this question: Is a proven player like Haren worth getting rid of your top prospect and another promising young pitcher, even if there's no guarantee that they will be good down the road? Part of me says no, but at the same time, it's not like the Tigers would be renting Haren for a couple months. He is under contract for at least two more seasons, so this would be a move for the short term and the future.

Unlike Dan Haren, the Tigers are not on Cubs pitcher Ted Lilly's no-trade list, according to Jon Paul Morosi.

Ted Lilly’s 10-team no-trade clause includes the Phillies, Twins and Rays, according to major-league sources.

But two teams with interest in Lilly — the Mets and Tigers — are not on the list. So, they could acquire him without his permission.

The Tigers are one of the teams on Dan Haren's no-trade list, meaning he would have to give the D-backs permission to do a deal with them. For Ted Lilly, however, that obstacle doesn't exist for the Tigers, which is yet another sign that a deal with the Cubs for Lilly might be much easier than one with the Diamondbacks for Haren.

FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi reports on Twitter that the Tigers are not exactly about to pull the trigger on any deals. Although they are mentioned as being interested in a few players, Morosi got word from Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski that no deals are imminent.

[Tigers] are not close on any deals, according to GM Dave Dombrowski.

Things can change pretty quickly, especially over the next week from now until the trade deadline. Still, for now it seems that the Tigers aren't on the cusp of acquiring anybody.

The injury to Brandon Inge has raised speculation that the Tigers might be in the market for a replacement at the hot corner while Inge's hand heals. According to CBS Sports' Danny Knobler, the Tigers have some interest in the four-time All-Star and 2007 World Series MVP, Mike Lowell: 

The Tigers, who lost third baseman Brandon Inge to a broken hand last week, have some interest in Mike Lowell, who began a minor-league rehabilitation assignment Thursday at Triple-A Pawtucket.

Lowell was Pawtucket's designated hitter on Thursday, and after a scheduled day off Friday, he's expected to play third base on Saturday. Lowell had a cortisone shot in his surgically repaired right hip this past week, and he told reporters in Pawtucket that he expects to be activated by the Red Sox next week. [...]

[...] Lowell makes $10 million, but the Red Sox would obviously be willing to pick up most of the remaining money if they are able to move him.

Lowell's been a steady hitter his whole career, but he's 36-years-old and injuries are starting to catch up. He's likely played his last game as a Red Sox, which makes one wonder why the Tigers would bite on another contender's garbage. Then again, if Lowell can somehow prove he's healthy enough for the stretch run, he'd be a significant upgrade over Inge in the lineup.

The fact that Dan Haren put the Tigers on his 12-team "no trade" list isn't stopping reputable sources from reporting that the Tigers serious interest in Dan Haren could come into fruition. SI's Jon Heyman just tweeted that the Tigers could be the favorite to land the Diamondbacks' stud RHP: 

#tigers, #phillies, #yankees, #cardinals said to be in on haren. he is now expected to move. tigers could be favorite.

I imagine the reports will go back and forth for the next week, leading up to the deadline. It's really no secret now that the Tigers are very serious in acquiring Haren and, as Sean mentioned in the previous update, if the Tigers can offer a guarantee on that expensive 2013 team option Haren might agree to be traded to the AL Central contender.

The biggest obstacle in trading for Dan Haren originally seemed to be the package it would take for the D-backs to actually agree to a deal. Jacob Turner, the Tigers' top prospect, reportedly could be a necessary piece for a deal involving Haren, for example.

Now, based on a report from Jon Paul Morosi, it looks like the Tigers have bigger things to worry about with a Haren deal than which prospects to include, because they are apparently on his no-trade list.

For two of those clubs, acquiring Haren won’t just be a matter of surrendering the necessary prospects and affording the remaining money on his contract. They will need to get his permission, too.

Major league sources told FOXSports.com on Friday that the Tigers and Twins are among the teams on Haren’s 12-team no-trade list.

That complicates things, but as Morosi points out, Haren has a club option for 2013 worth $15.5 million. If the Tigers or any team on his no-trade list were to agree to pick up the option, it's possible he would give the D-backs permission to make a deal happen.

While Dan Haren may be the Tigers' top target as the trade deadline nears, another name on the list is Cubs pitcher Ted Lilly. While he would likely require a lesser deal as far as the players involved compared to what it will supposedly take to land Haren, the Tigers are far from the only team looking into trading for Lilly. From ESPN's Jayson Stark:

At least a half-dozen teams are still in on him -- a group headed by the Tigers, Mets and Dodgers. And the Cubs are officially in nearly-everything-must-go mode. So not only are they confident they can trade this guy, but they Cubs are also telling teams they don't have to pay any of the approximately $5.5 million he has left on his deal this year.

So far this season, Lilly is only 3-8 with a 3.88 ERA.

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the Tigers are most definitely interested in trading for Diamondbacks pitcher Dan Haren.

Heard this: The D-Backs are in the process of exchanging names on Dan Haren. I don't know if any team is necessarily deeper into talks than other teams, but the Detroit Tigers are serious in their interest on Haren. Some execs have serious doubts about whether a Haren deal can be made, because the D-Backs will need a big-time haul in return for the All-Star pitcher.

For the Tigers, a "big-time haul" may mean trading away pitching prospect Jacob Turner as the centerpiece of a deal to land Haren. Also from Buster Olney:

Heard this: The Tigers are one of the teams involved in the Dan Haren trade talks, and some rival evaluators think that it would be very tough for Detroit to structure a suitable offer for Haren without including highly touted prospect Jacob Turner.

Baseball America ranks Turner as the 26th best prospect in baseball and the top prospect in the Tigers system. I'm not so sure if Haren would be worth giving Turner away, but it'll probably be tough to land him without including Turner. Quite a few teams are interested in Haren, so it's not like the Tigers can offer something small and hope that is enough. Chances are Arizona will get a few good offers, so the Tigers may have to give up a lot to emerge as the favorite to land him.

The Blue Jays are in town for a four-game set and it will provide the Tigers with plenty of baseball to get a good look at some of the players they may wish to trade for before the trade deadline. According to Jon Morosi (who else?), the Tigers were also looking at the Toronto hitters and relievers while they were playing in Kansas City earlier this week.

With the Tigers catchers hitting for a combined .564 OPS (hint: that's not good), the Tigers have been rumored to be on the lookout for a productive catcher. Toronto's All-Star catcher, John Buck, might be an option. Buck is having a career season with a .285 average (.833 OPS), 14 HR and 47 RBI (he hit a 2-run homer today off of Justin Verlander). The problem is that he's a career .241 hitter (meaning he could fall off in the 2nd half) and does not throw out runners at the rate Laird and Avila do. The Blue Jays will undoubtedly be looking for more than what Buck is actually worth before he becomes a free agent at season's end. Breaking up the current Tigers battery mates' comradery for that might not be worth it.

The recent injury to 3B Brandon Inge led the Tigers to inquire about Blue Jays' power hitting 3B Jose Bautista. It's important to note that Inge is not out for the season and Bautista is eligible for arbitration in 2011. Bautista has a career high 26 HR this season and could wind up making big dollars as a result. The Tigers would have to decide if the career .238 hitter (Bautista, not Inge) are in their future plans.

Whether the Tigers acquire one of the Blue Jays hitters is to be seen, but considering they're also looking at several of their relievers, the Blue Jays seem to be a more likely trading partner for the Tigers as the deadline approaches. This weekend series will be a great help in swaying the Tigers one way or another.

After tomorrow, the Tigers will have played eight games in seven days, and one of those games took 14 innings to complete. It's no secret the bullpen is getting overworked, not helped by the slumping starters (I'm looking at you Galarraga, Bonderman, Oliver, and Porcello). Throw in the recent loss of Joel Zumaya and the question mark of Ryan Perry, the Tigers couldn't go wrong in adding a reliable bullpen arm not named Casey Fien at the deadline. Jon Morosi confirms the Tigers are looking:

Manager Jim Leyland has been outspoken in his desire to add a reliever, and the search for one presses on. The Tigers have kept tabs on David Aardsma and Brandon League in Seattle. They will also get a firsthand look at Toronto's late-inning passel — Scott Downs, Jason Frasor, Casey Janssen — when the Blue Jays visit Detroit this weekend.

As I said in my recent feature on replacing Brandon Inge, teams that have more than one asset to offer the Tigers might be the best trading partners, so that a package deal can be had (although the price in return undoubtedly goes up). Bless You Boys weighed in with their thoughts regarding a couple more relievers from Oakland. While there isn't a clear idea who the Tigers will aggressively go after, signs are pointing to them trading for a reliever before the deadline.

With Nate Robertson being designated for assignment by the Marlins, some suggested that the Tigers bring him back. After all, the Tigers could use a left-handed starting pitcher and are still paying him anyways, so it would make sense in that regard.

The part where it doesn't make sense, however, is the fact that Robertson is not a very good pitcher. The Tigers' rotation is by no means dominant from top to bottom, but Robertson would just be yet another inconsistent pitcher competing for the fifth spot. Detroit has plenty of those already, so it's not surprising that they are not expressing any interest in bringing him back, according to Jon Paul Morosi.

Speaking of left-handers, the Tigers haven't shown interest in Nate Robertson, whose contract was recently designated for assignment by the Marlins.

The Tigers are also not expressing interest in bringing back catcher Pudge Rodriguez, who currently plays for the Nationals. There's no doubt the Tigers could use an upgrade behind the plate considering how bad Gerald Laird and Alex Avila have been in the batter's box, but Morosi says that we shouldn't expect Pudge to be pursued by Detroit.

And while we're on the subject of former Tigers: The team isn't pursuing a reunion with Pudge Rodriguez. The Tigers will, however, consider upgrades behind the plate; Detroit catchers have accounted for the lowest OPS at the position in the major leagues this year.

Laird and Avila are good catchers, but their batting is so bad that the Tigers almost have to make a move of some sort. The consistent lack of production from the catcher position has been a huge detriment to the Tigers' lineup, and if they are going to compete for a division title, that is one of the positions that needs to be upgraded.

With the trade deadline nearing, teams are keeping an eye on players who may be on the block and could prompt a trade. One of those players is Diamondbacks pitcher Dan Haren. His name has been thrown out there quite a bit as someone the Tigers may target if they decide to be buyers at the trade deadline. Although the seven-game losing streak made things a little uncertain as far as whether the Tigers will buy or sell at the trade deadline, if they are still in contention next week, chances are they will be looking to add help.

Help for the rotation could come in the form of Haren, and there's no doubt that the Tigers are at least exploring this possibility, as scouts from Detroit were in Arizona last night to watch the righty take on the Mets. From USA Today's Bob Nightengale:

Scouts from Phillies and Tigers at game to watch D-backs starter Dan Haren, who's on the block

Whether or not Haren will actually be dealt remains to be seen, but this story is one to keep an eye on, especially if the Tigers start to play better and are buyers at the trade deadline.

By the way, Haren's stat line for last night looked like this: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 8 SO.