The New York Yankees are known to be in the market for rotation help ahead of the July 31st deadline. Conversely, the Detroit Tigers are said to be open for business on just about everyone -- including left-handed starter Matthew Boyd, who is in the midst of a breakout season. You needn't be an insider or a psychic to assume the two sides would talk deals at some point. And talk about Boyd they have, according to George A. King III of the New York Post.
There's just one catch: the Tigers asked for second baseman Gleyber Torres in return. Per King:
Nevertheless, Steinbrenner is more concerned about what acquiring a pitcher would cost in young talent. Already the Tigers asked for stud second baseman Gleyber Torres for lefty Matthew Boyd.
To some extent, a big ask is to be expected. There's enough time between now and the trade deadline for demands to shrink and middle ground to be discovered. At the moment, though, talks are in the stages where anchors are dropped and unrealistic asks are made. Hence Detroit requesting Torres -- knowing, in all likelihood, darn well there's no chance New York agrees.
After all, Torres is a 22-year-old middle infielder who has a 126 OPS+ in nearly 800 career plate appearances. He's under team control through the 2024 season, but has already emerged as one of the best players on New York's team.
Boyd is a quality pitcher -- and one who has improved on past projections -- yet even now he has a 92 career ERA+. The league-average mark for starters is around 93. Flipping Torres for Boyd makes about as much sense as picking a fight with an actual Tiger.
Check back in a few weeks, when the Tigers are making a reasonable ask, to see if there's a deal to be made. For now, don't get too caught up in the silly season.
