Rumor: Tigers Looking to Add Eugenio Suárez ASAP

What Does A Potential Eugenio Suárez Trade Look Like?

Although Suárez would be a rental for the time being, he is one of the most coveted pieces currently on the trade block. Given what the Diamondbacks are asking for in exchange for Suárez, I crafted my mock trade.

Tigers receive:

Eugenio Suárez

Diamondbacks receive:

Josue Briceño (Tigers #4 prospect)

Troy Melton (Tigers #6 prospect)

Ty Madden (Tigers #13 prospect)

The Diamondbacks have stressed how they want MLB-ready players in exchange for Suárez, but given the lack of depth within their farm system, this trade makes a ton of sense for them.

Breaking Down a Potential Return

Josue Briceño is a 20-year-old 1B/C who has been good during his time in High-A and Double-A. The Diamondbacks don’t have any potential top prospects currently capable of playing first base, so this would solve an immediate need for them. While he has struggled during the early portion of his Double-A career, he is still very young and could be in the MLB within the next three to four years. He is batting .237 in 11 games with six RBI, posting a .333 OBP and .629 OPS. While the OPS is lower than expected, one should pay more attention to the on-base percentage.

Troy Melton could be considered an MLB-ready prospect to some teams, as he looked fairly decent in his MLB debut last week against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Although Melton did give up some “hard contact” in his start, he was still able to showcase his strikeout ability, punching out seven Pirates through five innings. That is the scouting report on Melton, a pitcher who can generate a ton of swing-and-miss given his pitch arsenal, but someone who can lose control of command, which leads to home runs.

Ty Madden has been dealing with a rotator cuff injury this season, but he has still shown tremendous promise during his short MLB stint last year. The 25-year-old posted a 4.30 ERA through 25 innings, striking out 17 and walking eight. While those numbers don’t look great on paper, Madden is still young and would have a better opportunity to showcase his talent in Arizona. He has a fastball, slider, and changeup mix that all grade out at 50, making those his three best pitches.

The Last Word

We may never know how any of these three prospects turn out, but given the current direction of the Diamondbacks, paired with the eagerness of the Tigers, this is a deal that should make sense for both parties. The Tigers get one of the best bats in MLB, adding more depth to their lineup, while the Diamondbacks retool a prospect pool that currently has just three prospects within the top 100.