Tigers finally admit their fate, say they’re ‘rebooting’ at the trade deadline

The Detroit Tigers eked out a tough win Wednesday, topping the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 after Rays’ starter Chris Archer carried a perfect game into the seventh inning. The Tigers rallied in the seventh. Justin Verlander pitched his game of the season. It was pretty good from a Tigers perspective.

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Still, none of this was enough to prevent the inevitable conclusion for these 2015 Tigers. They’re sellers at the trade deadline. People within baseball have been saying so for a week now, as the team drifted into fourth place in the AL Central. The Detroit front office kept saying it would see how things played out, not willing to admit its fate. But after Wednesday’s win, GM Dave Dombrowski did just that.

Here’s some of what Dombrowski had to say, via Anthony Fenech at the Detroit Free Press:

Dave Dombrowski said the Tigers are willing to listen to offers on their players. He termed their trade deadline approach a “rebooting.”

— anthony fenech (@anthonyfenech) July 29, 2015

“We’re only going to make a trade if it makes sense for us,” Dombrowski said, “But we think it gives us a chance to restock our club.”

— anthony fenech (@anthonyfenech) July 29, 2015

Dombrowski said, “It’s not easy for us to do that because we have really been trying to win on a yearly basis.”

— anthony fenech (@anthonyfenech) July 29, 2015

Dombrowski said the team isn’t involved in any active negotiations but has fielded numerous phone calls from other teams.

— anthony fenech (@anthonyfenech) July 29, 2015

You can bet the phones are ringing right now. The most calls will come for ace David Price and slugger Yoenis Cespedes, two free-agents-to-be that the Tigers hoped could help them to their fifth straight AL Central title. But with Miguel Cabrera still injured, there’s little chance of the Tigers to contend. They’re already the eighth team back for a wild card.

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Price would fit many teams and come cheaper than Cole Hamels, since he’s a rental. The Los Angeles Dodgers figure to be a strong suitor there. The Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros are chasing pitchers, while the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants could be players too. Cespedes, meanwhile, would be a great fit for a New York Mets team that needs a big boost of offense. The Baltimore Orioles have also reportedly been in the hunt for some outfield help.

We’ve got two more days to see what happens, but the Tigers just made things a lot more interesting. You can bet on that.

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