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Detroit Tigers right fielder Kerry Carpenter. Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports

Detroit Tigers: Stock up, stock down

By Michael Carpenter | Last updated 7/19/23

The Detroit Tigers (42-52) are six games behind the first-place Minnesota Twins in the underwhelming American League Central.

With an offense full of young, but inconsistent, hitters and a pitching staff that has been riddled with injuries, the Tigers are likely to be sellers at the trade deadline. After selecting high school outfielder Max Clark with the third-overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, the Tigers will look to continue to add pieces for the future with the hope of breaking their postseason drought in the near future.

Here are players who have seen their stock rise or fall in 2023.

Stock up

Kerry Carpenter, outfielder: After missing the month of May due to a right shoulder sprain, Carpenter has been locked in at the plate. Slashing .280/.346/.548 with seven home runs and 20 RBI over his last 30 games, he has been one of the best hitters in the AL over that time.

The 25-year-old, in his second season in the MLB, has built off a solid rookie year and is looking like a building block to the Tigers' offense along with fellow outfielder Riley Greene and first baseman Spencer Torkelson.

On the season he is hitting .271/.332/.524 with 11 home runs and 28 RBI in 52 games.

Kerry Carpenter's first career multi-home run game! pic.twitter.com/7v4dDiKZxU
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) July 16, 2023

With the expectations tempered in Detroit, Carpenter will continue to get plenty of playing time in the second half of the 2023 season.

Eduardo Rodriguez, pitcher: During a disappointing 2022 season that saw him take three months away from the Tigers after joining that off-season, Rodriguez is back in 2023.

He's 5-5 with a 2.70 ERA through 13 starts this season.

Rodriguez has made two starts since returning from a month-long stint on the injury list and looks better after a rough return start.

Eduardo Rodriguez, 5th and 6th Ks. ⚔️️

Thru 4. pic.twitter.com/FtwUEuRCBC
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 15, 2023

With a player opt-out in his contract after this season, Rodriguez could walk away from the three-year, $49M left on his deal with the Tigers to test free agency again with hopes of cashing in on his strong play in 2023.

Detroit will have a tough decision as teams will surely be calling about the availability of the 30-year-old left-hander.

Stock down

Matthew Boyd, pitcher: After spending 2015-21 with the Tigers, Boyd pitched last season with the Seattle Mariners after rehabbing from an injury. He showed enough that the Tigers brought him back on a one-year, $10M deal this past offseason and he has been a major disappointment.

Boyd pitched to a 5-5 record with a 5.45 ERA in 15 games started before having his season cut short by Tommy John surgery which will keep him out for the rest of the 2023 season and into the next.

With pitchers Matt Manning, Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize all dealing with injuries, the Tigers were hoping they could count on Boyd to provide innings for them. Instead, he joins the young pitchers on the shelf for the foreseeable future.

Javier Baez, shortstop: Signed to a massive six-year, $140M contract with the Tigers in 2021, Baez has been one of the biggest disappointments in baseball since his arrival.

After averaging .271/.312/.490 with 23 home runs and 74 RBI from 2016-21, he has posted a .233/.272/.368 slash line with 23 home runs and 112 RBI in 233 games played as a member of the Tigers.

It's tough to see him exercising the player option in his contract this offseason and leaving $98M on the table with the production he has shown. Instead, the Tigers will have to hope Baez finds the form that earned him two All-Star selections earlier in his career.

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