AL Central’s Prized Trade Pieces
The AL Central has arguably been the worst division in 2023. The 1st place Minnesota Twins currently have a record of 35-34, the 2nd place Guardians are 32-36, and the 3rd place White Sox are 30-40. Though the tigers have been a bit of a surprise team sitting at 29-39, the Royals hold the worst record in the league at 19-50. The race for the divison will be close down the stretch but with the trade deadline a little over 6 weeks away, it’s clear that we will get a better idea of who will sell as the weeks go by. Here are the most prized players that will be getting the most attention from contending teams.
Eduardo Rodriguez - SP, Detroit Tigers
Photo by Lon Horwedel / USA Today (Getty Images)
Eduardo Rodriguez signed with the Tigers in November of 2021. The deal was worth $77 million over 5 years, with an opt-out for the 2024 season. With Detroit not being in the postseason running, it would be likely that Rodriguez will exercise the opt-out during the offseason. If Detroit is to get as much value as they can from dealing Rodriguez, now is the time.
Rodriguez is having the best season of his career, posting a 4-4 record with a 2.13 ERA over 67.2 innings pitched. He’s in the top 10 in ERA, Wins Above Replacement, and WHIP.
Possible Destinations; LAD, ARI, HOU, BAL
Shane Bieber- SP, Cleveland Guardians
Photo by Tommy Wild / Sports Illustrated (Getty Images)
The 2020 Cy Young Award winner has had many credible sources throughout the league report that the Guardians will entertain trading their ace from insiders Jon Heyman, Jeff Passan, and Bob Nightengale. Bieber is owed $10 million dollars this season and is arbitration eligible in ‘24. He is also a free agent in ‘25. With the plethora of young pitching talent the Guardians hold with Logan Allen, Tanner Bibee, Triston McKenzie, Gavin Williams (MLB #17 Prospect), and Daniel Espino (MLB # 57 Prospect), they can afford to let go of their ace.
Although the right hander has not been able to replicate his 2020 dominance, he has been a quality pitcher. This season, Bieber has posted a 5-3 record with a 3.29 ERA over 87.2 innings. Bieber’s Strikeouts per 9 innings is at it’s career lowest 6.6, but his ability to induce groundballs (45.6% groundball rate) and limit home runs (Home Runs/9 innings - 0.82) has been the key to his run prevention.
Possible Destinations: BAL, LAD, PHI
