A lot of the offseason chatter around the Detroit Tigers will center around whether or not they will trade ace pitcher Tarik Skubal. Trading Skubal would not be a great look for the Tigers, who are in a prime position to contend again in 2026.
Detroit gave second baseman Gleyber Torres a qualifying offer, and he has until November to accept it or not. If he doesn’t accept it and becomes a free agent, the Tigers will need to fill his spot at second base, and they were linked as a potential trade destination for an Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman.
Tigers Listed as Potential Landing Spot for Ketel Marte
FOX Sports published an article on Friday night with potential landing spots for Ketel Marte in a potential trade this offseason, and one of the three teams listed was the Tigers. The Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners were also mentioned.
“Yes, Gleyber Torres just put together a respectable season for the Tigers, but Marte would be an upgrade for them at second base, specifically with the bat, and allow Detroit to spend elsewhere in free agency (maybe a third baseman?). While Detroit’s offense made strides last season, it was still just 16th in MLB in hits (1,346), 14th in on-base percentage (.316), and collectively posted a mere .207/.290/.317 slash line in the postseason. Marte would give manager A.J. Hinch a proven hitter who can swing the bat for both contact and power, adding another integral piece to the long-term puzzle,” they wrote.
On Wednesday, MLB Trade Rumors posted an article that as many as seven teams have contacted Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen about Marte, but he doesn’t sound like someone Hazen would trade.
Anytime you can add an All-Star player to your team in a trade, you consider it. Marte would certainly be an upgrade at second base over Torres, and his bat would give manager A.J. Hinch options in the lineup, but at 32 years old, the asking price could be a tad steep for the Tigers to pull off a deal.
Torres’ qualifying offer was $22.025 million for one year, and Jon Morosi of the MLB Network reported that Torres and his agent were gauging interest from other clubs on multiyear deals before deciding on Detroit’s offer.
Heard at GM Meetings that Gleyber Torres and his reps are actively gauging interest from clubs on multiyear deals before deciding on the Tigers’ 1-year qualifying offer of $22.025 million.
At this point, accepting the QO is still under consideration. @MLBNetwork
If Torres were to decline the offer, that would save the Tigers more money to go out and look at adding somewhere else, like third base? Does that bring Alex Bregman into the fold to come to Detroit? Another issue with trading for Marte is that he is locked up through the 2031 season with a player option for 2031. He would make $15 million next season with a $1 million bonus added on.
While a trade for Marte is unlikely, it certainly would be an upgrade for a team looking to take the next step in the postseason next October.
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