The Detroit Tigers, mired in the last place in the AL Central with a lousy 28-58 record, are expected to become one of the “sellers” at this year’s MLB trade deadline.
Starting pitching Matthew Boyd, the team’s ace appears to be one of the players that are going to attract the most interest from other teams as July 31st approaches.
Boyd has been one of the top strikeout artists in the league this season, ranking fourth among qualified starters with a 32.0% strikeout rate. It’s been a breakout season for the 29-year-old lefty, who has ridden an improved slider/cutter combination to the highest punchout totals of his career.
While the former Oregon State Beaver has still been hampered somewhat by giving up his fair share of home runs, his 2019 ERA of 3.87 is easily the best of his career. Boyd has been the lone shining light in one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball.
With three years of team control left on his contract, the price for Boyd is expected to be substantial. Playoff contenders that are looking to upgrade their starting rotation will undoubtedly look to Boyd as one of their options as the end of the season gets closer.
Teams that have reportedly expressed interest in Boyd include the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Tampa Bay Rays.
