Mariners Rumors: Trading with the Tigers for Matthew Boyd

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JUNE 14: Starting pitcher Matthew Boyd #48 of the Detroit Tigers pitches during the 1st inning of the game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on June 14, 2021 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JUNE 14: Starting pitcher Matthew Boyd #48 of the Detroit Tigers pitches during the 1st inning of the game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on June 14, 2021 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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Mariners Justus Sheffield
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JULY 06: Justus Sheffield #33 of the Seattle Mariners throws a pitch during the game during the game against the New York Yankees at T-Mobile Park on July 06, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. The New York Yankees won 12-1 (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) /

Mariners Trade 1: Sheffield goes to Detroit

I’ve included Justus Sheffield in a lot of these offers, and it’s for a good reason. He is young, controllable, and very talented. Previously ranked quite highly in prospect rankings, he was the centerpiece of the James Paxton trade that the Mariners and Yankees made back in November of 2018.

He’s shown flashes in Seattle before going down with multiple injuries and now finds himself pushed back a bit in the Mariners plans. I’d love to see him stick around the rotation, but he might need a bit more seasoning. This is where Detroit comes in. They are a few years away from competing, but they’ve got a fantastic farm system. They and the Mariners were ranked in the top three this year behind the Rays.

Adding in Sheffield, he could become the defacto veteran to the likes of Skubal, Mize, Manning, Turnbull, and Wentz. Once he is healthy, he would slot right into their rotation and start eating up 5/6 innings a game.

Well, if things work out in Detroit, you should probably actually watch out for them in 2022-2023. Clearing Boyd out for Sheffield would have a strong young staff they could rely on going forward.