Tigers' Gleyber Torres Wants to Trade for World Baseball Classic Teammate

The Detroit Tigers have fallen into a nasty slump over the last few weeks, watching their grip on the best record in baseball slip away.

Losers in 12 out of 13 games heading into and after the All-Star break, the Tigers have shown some signs of getting back on track in their two most recent games, winning both contests.

Detroit still has one of the best win totals in baseball but are now behind the Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers.

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Looking to ensure their lead in the American League Central doesn’t shrink any more than it has, the Tigers made their first of what could be several additions ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

In a surprising turn of events, they completed a deal with their AL Central rivals, the Minnesota Twins, acquiring starting pitcher Chris Paddack.

He will help fill out the rotation behind Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize that has been hit hard by season-ending injuries to Jackson Jobe and most recently, Reese Olson.

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Paddack will be relied upon as an innings eater alongside rookie Troy Melton, who was fantastic in his second career start on Monday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Speaking of the Diamondbacks, they have been connected to Detroit a lot because they are looking like sellers ahead of the MLB trade deadline and have arguably the most impactful player who could be moved on their roster: third baseman Eugenio Suarez.

With a hole at third base, Suarez would look to be a great fit for Detroit and some of the players on the team would love to see the front office make a move to acquire him before Arizona leaves town on July 30 after a three-game series.

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Second baseman Gleyber Torres is one of the players who would love to see Suarez join the squad.

"If he comes here at some point, it's going to be awesome," said Torres, via Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. "He treats people the right way. He's easy to talk to. He always wants to help the players. It would be a really, really good addition for us."

The All-Star second baseman and Diamondbacks stars were teammates in the World Baseball Classic with Team Venezuela back in 2023.

With an MLB-high 87 RBI to go along with 36 home runs and 18 doubles, Suarez would transform any lineup with his prodigious power and run production.

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But, as Torres noted, he is an even better person than player.

"I think he's a better person than player," Torres added. "I have a really good relationship with him. He is a humble guy, an awesome person. I've known him for many years. Our relationship is really good."

The feeling is mutual, as Suarez, who began his MLB career with the Tigers in 2014, has previously stated he wants to play for the franchise again.

For more Tigers news, head over to Tigers On SI.