TIGERS RUMORS & GOSSIP

MLBPipeline.com's midseason Top 100 Prospects list is defined by youth (eight of the top 10 players are 20 or younger) and headlined by more hitters (each of the top 11) and international players (each of the top eight) than ever before.

Throughout Drew VerHagen's five years in the Tigers' organization, his 133 pitching appearances have been split almost exactly in half between relief outings and starts. In his mind, he still has work to do to determine which way he'll go for his long-term role.

Daniel Norris was back in the clubhouse at Comerica Park on Monday, reunited with his teammates. It's the end goal the Tigers' young left-hander wanted, but not the circumstances, not with his groin injury again forcing him off the mound.

The Cubs may be swinging another pre-deadline move for starting pitching.According to a report by Jon Morosi of FOX Sports on Monday, the Cubs and the Detroit Tigers continue to engage in trade talks with former AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander’s name popping up along with catcher Alex Avila’s. The defending champs already landed Jose Quintana from the Chicago White Sox earlier...

Extends hitting streak to 7 games Sunday.

As the Milwaukee Brewers look to hold off the defending champion Chicago Cubs in the NL Central, the team has been busy looking for reinforcements.Milwaukee was just linked to the recently traded Jose Quintana and Oakland Athletics starter Sonny Gray. Such a move might be necessary, especially considering Chicago is the team that landed the aforementioned Quintana.But the Brewers...

The Milwaukee Brewers seem to have zeroed in on their new bullpen messiah.Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports reports on Friday that the Brewers are “aggressive” in trade talks with the Detroit Tigers for closer Justin Wilson. The 29-year-old lefty Wilson has a 2.75 ERA with 10 saves in 12 opportunities for the Tigers this season. He is under team control through 2018.Nearly...

Want more news first thing in the day? Sign up for the Yardbarker Morning Bark newsletter here.Good morning and welcome to the YB Box Score, what we're reading while we completely erase our phone's history – just in case. (We're having a torrid affair with our local sandwich shop. Order the Larry Mantle. Don't tell our main dish, salads, about it.) Happy birthday today to Kellen...

The Milwaukee Brewers have reportedly made some calls about starting pitcher Justin Verlander.According to Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press, the Brewers have made their interest in the Detroit Tigers pitcher known. The Chicago Cubs are also still interested despite the fact that they have already acquired Jose Quintana from the Chicago White Sox. It’s not clear whether...

No matter how you look at Michael Fulmer, you’ll probably come away impressed. Today’s Tigers starter is making good on his sophomore season and currently has the 10th-best ERA among qualified starters. But if you look at strikeouts and walks, traditionally thought of as the outcomes over which a pitcher exerts the most control, Fulmer is 43rd best among that game group. Which...

A day after he was traded from the Detroit Tigers to the Arizona Diamondbacks, J.D. Martinez’s debut his new team did not go well.Martinez was struck in the hand by a Tim Adelman fastball. He was ruled to have swung and was therefore not awarded the base. Making matters worse, Martinez was removed from the game following the at-bat. The good news is that disaster appears to have...

The Arizona Diamondbacks are 54-39, but find themselves 10.5 games back in the NL West. That’s because as of Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers are winners of 10 in a row and 30 of their previous 34. And before Arizona’s 11-2 thrashing of the Cincinnati Reds, they had lost eight of nine. In six of those, Arizona would fail to muster more than three runs. Yet for the time...

The Tacoma Rainiers took on the Albuquerque Isotopes on Monday in an otherwise unremarkable Triple-A baseball contest. The remarkable part took place before the game.Relief pitcher Mark Lowe, infielder D.J. Peterson, first baseman Dan Vogelbach, and pitcher Pat Light didn’t want to have to get up at 3 a.m. in order to take the team flight from Phoenix alongside the rest of...

One of the biggest obstacles in a potential Justin Verlander trade is his contract. But according to a report from Jon Morosi of MLB.com, the Detroit Tigers may be willing to help in that regard. Obviously, how much Detroit is willing to help will go a long way toward determining how realistic a trade is. Verlander is signed through 2019 at $28 million per year, with a $22 million...

Former New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez made headlines when he suggested the Boston Red Sox and the Tigers should work on a deal that would send Miguel Cabrera to the Red Sox. Yes, the Red Sox need a third baseman, and yes, Miguel Cabrera has experience playing third base, but that’s about the only match these two teams have when it come to this deal. There are some many things wrong...

With the season all but over for the Tigers, it’s time for the team to start selling the pieces they have. However, big contracts, slumping players and market value are getting in the way of Tigers making more deals. The team has some pieces they can move and looking toward the future is what the Tigers need to do. The Tigers have two guys that will likely be dealt before the deadline...

Venezuela is currently embroiled in a complex economic, political and humanitarian crisis, with violence surging and hunger everywhere. It’s a messy situation with no end in sight.Major League Baseball players across the league have been vocal about Venezuela’s problems, widely opposing president Nicolas Maduro and attempting to raise awareness of the chaos back home however...

The Detroit Tigers are 38-48 heading in to the last game before the All-Star break, which is tied for last in the AL Central Division. The team is likely out of contention for a playoff spot and will sell at the trade deadline. However, despite a losing record, they do have some players that have had good season. Let’s take a look at some mid-season winners and losers. Winner...

Justin Verlander on Wednesday acknowledged and was realistic about the trade rumors swirling around him, saying, “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”The Detroit Tigers are 37-46, seven games back in the AL Central and 6.5 games out in the Wild Card. A rebuild arguably may be in order for the Tigers, and if so, Verlander obviously would be among the longtime stars who could...