The Detroit Tigers came into the 2025 MLB season as playoff contenders, but they’ve wildly exceeded expectations so far, featuring a 40-22 record that is the best in baseball at the moment.
Led by an underrated offense with Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter, along with a terrific rotation highlighted by Tarik Skubal, the Tigers look poised for a deep postseason run.
Expect the Tigers to be buyers at the trade deadline, where one top MLB insider linked them to a potential trade target that could put them over the top as World Series contenders.
Jeff Passan Links Tigers to Bo Bichette
In a recent ESPN column, Passan takes a look at all 30 teams to make trade deadline predictions, including the Tigers. Passan predicts that Detroit will go after Toronto Blue Jays shortstop and impending free agent Bo Bichette.
Trade discussions have begun, and to commemorate the arrival of deadline season, I took a look at all 30 teams to see how they plan to operate between now and July 31. Free and unlocked at ESPN, the available players, teams’ needs and where they align: https://t.co/YqY4VDoGNM
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 3, 2025
“While conventional wisdom suggests the Tigers could use another high-octane bullpen arm to secure outs at the end of the game, renting Bichette’s services before he hits free agency would infuse the lineup with the sort of bat Trey Sweeney simply doesn’t yet wield,” Passan says.
Bichette has three 20-homer seasons under his belt, so he’d provide the Tigers with proven production at a key position.
While the 27-year-old shortstop is coming off the worst season of his career, we’ve seen him get on track in May, including with seven home runs.
Passan goes on to talk about how Bichette has “gap-to-gap power,” which would “play well at Comerica Park,” adding that the Tigers have the “prospect depth” needed to acquire Bichette.
Potential Bichette Trade Has Roadblocks
There are a couple of key factors that may prevent a Bichette trade to Detroit from happening. For one, the Blue Jays (31-29) view themselves as playoff contenders. Currently on a 10-6 stretch, the Jays are only 1.5 games back of the final AL Wild Card spot.
It’s unlikely that the Jays would part with Bichette unless they fall out of contention.
Secondly, the Tigers would be taking on a risk in trading for a player who is set to hit free agency. It’s unlikely that Bichette would sign an extension this close to free agency, so the Tigers would probably be paying for a rental for a couple of months.
With that in mind, the Tigers would need the Blue Jays to start losing games and Bichette slowing down his pace to bring down his price for this trade to happen.