The Detroit Tigers Have Traded For Austin Meadows

I read this tweet about eight times because I was convinced that it was fake and came from some ridiculous account that was trying to get clout for half a second. It's real, and I'm stunned. After fracturing his foot, Riley Greene being out likely 6-8 weeks (probably more when you include rehab time) was a devastating blow for the Detroit Tigers. He was one of the top-rated baseball prospects and was expected to be a Rookie Of The Year candidate this season. But sometimes, the night is darkest just before dawn, and that may be the case for the Tigers here. 

Even if Meadows doesn't repeat his 2019 All-Star success, he's a damn good player, and the Tigers gave up Isaac Paredes to get him. And while Paredes is still young and may very well develop into a good major league player, the flaws in his game were apparent. He was a positionless hitter who never really developed as a hitter, and the Tigers traded him for a 27-year-old outfielder with three more years of team control. 

What does this mean for the Tigers going forward? It means that Victor Reyes will probably go back to where he was before Greene's injury, which means he'll be a fourth outfielder who will spend Opening Day watching from the dugout. I also think it means that the Tigers do not have complete faith that Akil Baddoo can be an everyday outfielder at the major league level (yet). But he'll be, at worst, a tremendous platoon guy once Riley Greene comes off the injured list. The Rays are known for selling high on players like Blake Snell and Tommy Pham. They're a very smart organization, and I'm sure they'll find another way to win 90+ games again this year, but this one is not about Tampa Bay. This is about the boys in the old English D. After a few days in which my expectations started to lower regarding the Tigers, they've skyrocketed again. Let's get back to the playoffs.