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Tigers Pitcher Shockingly Mentioned as Potential Phillies Trade Target

Originally posted on Detroit Tigers on SI
By Michael Brauner | Last updated Mar 3, 2026 11:00 AM ET

The Detroit Tigers have done a nice job this offseason of rebuilding their pitching staff through free agent additions and are hopeful to see even better performances from pieces who were already present.

Because of the way Detroit has gone about free agency, they have much more depth in the starting rotation even beyond the top-five and could potentially look to add to other areas by making a trade with that depth.

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Though they still have to find out the injury status of Troy Melton, there are numerous potential contributors both at the big league and Triple-A level. As a result, the Tigers have been mentioned as a potential target for the Philadelphia Phillies to make a trade with.

In a deep dive on Philadelphia's search for pitching help, Nick Deeds of MLB Trade Rumors mentioned Detroit right-hander Keider Montero as someone the Phillies could target.

Would Tigers Trade Keider Montero?

"Looking around the league, there’s certainly a handful of teams with an excess of optionable starters who could fit the Phillies needs," Deeds wrote. "The Cubs (Javier Assad), Dodgers (Landon Knack), Tigers (Keider Montero) and Giants (Hayden Birdsong) are among the teams with optionable starters who have notable big league experience but are likely to be squeezed out of the club’s rotation entering the year."

Given the injuries Detroit suffered a year ago to the pitching staff and already this spring, dealing a controllable depth piece like Montero may not make a whole lot of sense. With that being said, if Philadelphia is desperate and willing to offer a significant return, it could be something to consider.

Montero is struggling badly in spring though, which both limits his value but also makes him more of an expendable asset for president of baseball operations Scott Harris to deal from. Based on what he has been over the last two seasons, trading him away would be a bit of a disappointing result.

Montero Has Been Critical for Tigers Since 2024

While he has been simply a depth piece, Montero has played an important role down the stretch of the last two years for Detroit which have both obviously ended in playoff appearances.

With a 4.37 ERA ERA and 1.39 WHIP over 20 appearances (12 starts) in 2025, Montero had a 5-3 record for a 0.6 bWAR. He has actually been tremendous in October as well, allowing no runs with a 0.48 WHIP in 8.1 playoff innings over the last two years.

Unquestionably, the Tigers would have to deem an offer worthy of parting with the depth insurance the 25-year-old provides, but it seems safe to say he is on the outside looking in for this rotation. If the Phillies were willing to part with legitimate prospect capital in order to land Montero, then it's worth consider.

However, if it's just for a low level prospect, then Montero is likely worth keeping around instead of trading away for pennies on the dollar to another contending team.

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This article first appeared on Detroit Tigers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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