Tigers Could Make Crucial Trade For Cardinals All-Star In 'Deadline Upgrade'

The Detroit Tigers might become the surprise landing spot for a St. Louis Cardinals All-Star who is constantly in trade rumors.

Detroit was 9-6 on the season entering Monday. The Tigers have looked early on like a legitimate threat to win the American League Central division, and if they become buyers on the trade market this summer, third base is the position they are most likely to shop for, according to a new report from Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller.

“Though the Tigers have persevered thus far with help from Spencer Torkelson re-emerging as a legitimate slugger, injuries have ravaged their lineup,” Miller wrote on Thursday.

“Even at full strength, though, third base was all but destined to be a problem area, between not doing anything about it in the offseason and Jace Jung not performing well enough in spring training to take over the job (or even earn a roster spot). A deadline upgrade at the hot corner is a near-must. … Potential Solutions … Yandy Diaz, Paul DeJong, Luis Urias.”

Diaz, DeJong, and Urias would all be nice additions for the Tigers, but none of these guys pack the star power of Cardinals 10-time Gold Glover, five-time Silver Slugger, and eight-time All-Star Nolan Arenado, a player Miller surprisingly didn’t list as a target for Detroit.

Perhaps Miller omitted Arenado under the premise that St. Louis won’t be sellers at the deadline, but that’s wishful thinking. 

The Cardinals started the season hot at home but have since come back down to Earth. They entered Monday with a 7-8 record after picking up a win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday.

Arenado is now slashing .283/.387/.415 on the season after a 2-for-4 performance in the victory over Philly.

Even if St. Louis hovers around .500 this season, they’ll still probably struggle to compete in a National League Central division containing two or three teams superior to St. Louis in the form of the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, and possibly the Cincinnati Reds.

If and when the Cardinals sink in the standings between now and July, you can expect Arenado to resurface as the premium trade target that he was considered all offseason.

Adding a guy with the track record and talent level of Arenado would be a massive win for the Tigers. It might be just the move that separates them in the competitive AL Central.

Notably, Arenado’s salary ($21 million this season) diminishes to $16 million in 2026 and $15 million in 2027 before he hits unrestricted free agency in 2028 (per Spotrac). That might make the Cardinals hesitant to trade Arenado, but the Tigers should at least get a conversation started.