The Detroit Tigers may still end up in the Tarik Skubal business, but if they decide to keep their ace, Jim Bowden thinks the next move should be just as aggressive in a different way: add a right-handed bat.
Bowden wrote that he believes Detroit should be the headline act at the deadline by moving Skubal, Casey Mize and Kenley Jansen. But if the Tigers stay in the race and choose to push in, he says the priority should shift to the lineup.
"I think the Tigers should be the headliner at the deadline by trading Skubal, Casey Mize and Kenley Jansen," wrote Bowden. "However, if they’re going to go for it, then I’d like to see them acquire a right-handed bat."
That’s where the New York Mets come in. Bowden pointed to Luis Robert as a possible fit for Detroit, calling him a potential flier if he looks good over the next 10 days after being reinstated from the injured list.
"Enter [Luis] Robert, who has spent practically the entire season on the injured list with a lumbar disc herniation. The Mets just reinstated him from the IL, and if he plays well over the next 10 days, it might be worth it for Detroit to take a flier on him," Bowden added. "He’s still only 28, and he has a club option on his deal if he were to play well down the stretch."
Detroit is expected to wait until August 3 before making any real call on whether it is buying or selling. If the Tigers do decide to stay in the hunt, Robert would bring both upside and risk.
The risk is obvious. He has played more than 100 games only three times in seven seasons.
But the ceiling is hard to ignore. Robert stole 33 bases and hit 14 home runs last season while playing strong defense in center field with the Chicago White Sox. And just three seasons ago, he put together a 38-homer, 80-RBI season, the kind of production that would give Detroit a real boost if the bat shows up again.
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