Tigers' top-5 MLB trade deadline targets make selling very intriguing for Detroit

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The Detroit Tigers are not having the kind of season they were hoping for at all. After promoting Kevin McGonigle to the big league roster and signing Framber Valdez, this team looked like a top contender out of the AL Central.

Instead of looking like a playoff contender, they're looking more like a trade deadline seller. That's never a fun outcome for a team, especially one with the optimism the Tigers had coming into the year.

But the Tigers' top-five trade deadline targets, as outlined by Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter, are all appealing, and make acting as sellers a bit more intriguing than it normally would be.

Tigers' selling is more intriguing than it should be, thanks to top-5 trade chips

The top trade candidate for the Tigers is obviously Tarik Skubal. If Detroit acts as sellers, then Skubal will be the most coveted name of their trade chips, and would bring back the best return by a wide margin.

But Skubal is far from the only player on this roster who could bring back a serious return at the trade deadline for the Tigers.

"Beyond him (Skubal), Casey Mize, Gleyber Torres, and Jack Flaherty are also rental candidates that should draw widespread interest," Reuter writes.

Casey Mize, Gleyber Torres, Jack Flaherty, and Skubal are four incredible trade chips, each of which would likely bring back a strong return.

Mize has, arguably, been better than Skubal this season, while Flaherty has proven to be a good trade deadline pickup before in his career.

MORE: 3 reasons why Braves are perfect fit for Tarik Skubal at MLB trade deadline

All three starting pitchers would surely bring back some strong returns at the deadline, while Torres, the second baseman (who's currently injured), would be a hot commodity if he's healthy by the deadline.

Lastly, Kenley Jansen is another name worth keeping in mind, as he could be a nice bullpen pickup at the deadline for a contender looking for more high-leverage relief help.

While Jansen might not draw the same heated interest as those other four trade chips would, he'd still be a player who could bring back a decent haul at the deadline for a rental reliever.

There are others the Tigers could end up selling this summer as well, with Matt Vierling, Zach McKinstry, and Kyle Finnegan as some intriguing options as well.

While the Tigers selling at the trade deadline wouldn't be what this team wanted to do, the potential return they could get for all of these trade candidates, especially Skubal, Flaherty, Mize, Torres, and Jansen, makes selling very intriguing for Detroit.

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