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The top potential Detroit Tigers’ trade candidates leading up to the 2026 MLB trade deadline include some big names, including two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, three-time All Star Gleyber Torres, and Casey Mize, who has been having a career year. However, with the team still very much in the race for both the AL Wild Card and AL Central, the Tigers are set to hold on to the key pending free agents who will help the team towards the playoffs. Here are the players the team should deal with instead.
The Top Detroit Tigers’ Trade Candidates
Jack Flaherty
Of the three Detroit Tigers trade candidates in this article, Flaherty would make the biggest impact for a playoff contender. Although an unorthodox path, the Tigers pairing with another team vying for a playoff berth, such as the Boston Red Sox or the Philadelphia Phillies, on a trade could make sense for both parties. With players such as Skubal, Mize, Troy Melton, and Keider Montero all putting up better numbers than Flaherty, he could be traded by Detroit without having a large, detrimental impact on their playoff odds.
Like most of the team, Flaherty struggled out of the gate in 2026 but has improved greatly since June 1st. Overall, he has failed to complete five full innings in eight of his 19 starts for Detroit this season, putting up just 0.2 WAR in the process. Flaherty’s 1.413 WAR, 4.49 ERA, and 2.43 strikeout-to-walk ratio are all worse than his career average. Since June 1st, his numbers have ticked up, and Flaherty has completed at least five innings in five of seven starts in that time. He is healthy, has playoff and World Series experience, and could therefore be of value on the trade market. This is a move the team should explore.
Kenley Jansen
Much like with Flaherty, most of Jansen’s trade value hinges on whether teams believe they can get either or both back to pitching at their best. Kenley Jansen, although nearing the end of his distinguished career, has been an extremely effective closer as recently as last season with the Los Angeles Angels, where he saved 29 games. This season has been a reversal of fortune, with Jansen posting a 4.21 ERA, 1.286 WHIP, and a 1.81 strikeout-to-walk ratio, all higher than his career average. This has led to him generating just 0.2 WAR in 2026. Jansen has also blown four saves, compared to three in 2025, although the last of those came on May 24th against the Baltimore Orioles.
Jansen’s contract with Detroit includes a $12 million club option for 2027, so a team would be buying another season of service should they choose. However, the deal also has a $2 million buyout that any trade partner would be on the hook for, so his contract may cut both ways. Teams such as the New York Mets or Toronto Blue Jays may feel that all they need is a facelift before next season, they may make a good trade partner for Kenley Jansen.
Drew Anderson
Drew Anderson may be the least-known quantity of the Detroit Tigers’ trade candidates, but that doesn’t mean he is without value on the market. After spending two seasons in the KBO, Anderson returned to the United States on a one-year deal with a $10 million club option for 2027. This time, the deal includes no buyout, so any buyer wouldn’t owe the hurler anything if they don’t like what they see. His results in his return to MLB are good, but certainly not great. He owns a 4.24 ERA, a 1.326 WHIP, and a 3.09 strikeout-to-walk ratio. What makes Anderson an intriguing Detroit Tigers trade candidate is his versatility.
Anderson has started two games, though only going 7.1 combined innings pitched, in 2026 while also registering two saves. The Tigers already have Keider Montero, also a swing option, who is performing better than Anderson, and he has multiple years of team control remaining beyond this season. So, while not netting as much as Torres would, for example, Anderson is expendable for Detroit while having some trade appeal. The Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, and perhaps even the Los Angeles Dodgers could make for a good trade partner here.
The Last Word
While Skubal will dominate trade headlines in the coming weeks, and rightly so, the Tigers should look to deal players who aren’t as crucial to a late-season playoff run. They will be future-proofing the team while also strengthening for an unlikely run in August and September. All of Flaherty, Jansen, and Anderson could fetch a return on the market, but trading any or all away wouldn’t harm Detroit’s playoff chances.
Main Image Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
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