This off-season, Chicago Cubs Japanese star Seiya Suzuki has been mentioned in countless trade rumors. Although he has a full no trade clause, there is some belief that this could be waived should the right deal emerge as he reportedly is unhappy about transitioning to the full time designated hitter.
One team that could be a realistic trade partner, thanks to some recent drama of their own, is the Detroit Tigers. They have seemingly waved the white flag on former first overall draft pick Spencer Torkleson, thus potentially making him a trade candidate.
Recently, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report proposed a trade involving Suzuiki from the Cubs and Torkelson from the Tigers. Here we review that proposal, but ultimately modify it to more fit Chicago’s needs and give them a better shot at contending in 2025 and beyond.
Why is Spencer Torkelson a trade candidate and why would he make sense on the Chicago Cubs?
Following the Tigers signing of Gleyber Torres, they announced that Colt Keith was moving to first base. This leaves Spencer Torkelson as the odd man out. Torkelson lived up to the number one overall prospect hype in 2023 when he crushed 31 home runs and drove in 94 batters, but his 2022 and 2024 seasons have not been all that inspiring. A change of scenery, perhaps to Chicago where he could platoon with Michael Bush or perhaps take over at designated hitter if his bat returns to form, may be a gamble the Cubs would take.
The original Chicago Cubs-Detroit Tigers trade proposal
Cubs receive: 1B Spencer Torkelson, SS Bryce Rainer
Tigers receive: RF Seiya Suzuki, cash
Zachary Rymer wrote of his trade proposal, “If any team is going to take the baton in the Suzuki sweepstakes, it should be the Tigers. Suzuki is among the best solutions for the Tigers on the trade market, and they have the prospects to chip away at whatever reluctance the Cubs have to move him. Detroit’s system is No. 3 in all of MLB.
Modifying this trade proposal to better position the Cubs to win in 2025 and beyond
Cubs receive: 1B Spencer Torkelson, RHP Tyler Owens
Tigers receive: RF Seiya Suzuki
This proposal swaps Bryce Rainer, a 19 year old prospect who was just selected in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft, for flamethrowing 23 year old Tyler Owens and eliminates the cash aspect.
Owens, who has a 65 grade fastball that sits 95-98 MPH, has good command, and pitched to a 3.03 and 2.96 ERA each of the past two seasons, was added to the Tigers 40-man roster this off-season in order to protect him from the Rule-5 Draft. Acquiring him comes with lots of upside, six years of control, and three years of roster flexibility.
Cash was removed from the deal because the Tigers would be acquiring Suzuki for two more seasons, with $38 million remaining on his contract. This isn’t a significant financial burden for that timeframe, and if Detroit is serious about advancing in the playoffs, they may need to be willing to invest. Additionally, the Cubs already spent cash in the Cody Bellinger trade, so throwing away more money would be less than ideal.
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