DETROIT – In a city starved for any hint of professional sports success, the overachieving Tigers have piqued the interest of fans around Metro Detroit.
Many expected the Tigers to be among the worst teams in baseball, but instead, they're just three games below .500 and five games behind the Cleveland Indians in the American League Central Division.
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It's great that the Tigers are playing consistently competitive baseball. Ron Gardenhire has had an instant impact on the team since taking over last offseason.
But there's no reason the Tigers shouldn't be sellers at this year's trade deadline.
The expectation at the start of the season was that the Tigers would be in full rebuild mode throughout 2018, and there's no reason to change the long-term outlook of the franchise because of a few extra wins in the first half.
Playoff outlook
It's way too early for contenders to look at the playoff race, but for teams that need to make decisions ahead of next month's trade deadline, it should be on their minds.
The Tigers are only within shouting distance of a playoff spot because of the Indians' struggles. Detroit is 10 games out of a wildcard spot, so it would have to win the weak Central Division to get into the postseason.
Even though the standings are close right now, the Indians are picking up steam. They have a more talented offense and four starting pitchers who are better than the Tigers' ace.
It's only a matter of time before the Tribe runs away with the division.
The Houston Astros, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have far superior rosters than the Tigers, and a couple of minor trade-deadline deals won't change that. The Tigers aren't a true World Series contender, so buying at the deadline doesn't make sense.
Viable trade pieces
The Tigers will also benefit from selling at the deadline because they have a couple of pieces that other teams might be interested in.
Last season, for example, the Tigers traded Justin Wilson and Alex Avila to land Jeimer Candelario, who is now one of the team's top hitters at 24 years old. Candelario is a building block for the future, and he'll be around when the team is competing for the postseason again.
All it took was a trade deadline move.
This season, the Tigers have several possible trade pieces. Francisco Liriano and Mike Fiers might yield a modest return, but a deal that includes Shane Greene or Jose Iglesias could demand more.
Greene has quietly had a strong year as the Tigers' closer, striking out more than a batter per inning while saving 19 games and posting a 1.19 WHIP. Relief pitchers who can generate swings and misses, especially those with closing experience, are often a hot commodity in July.
Iglesias has turned into a Gold Glove-caliber defensive shortstop while also raising his OPS to a respectable .716 after an abysmal start to the year. He's got 19 doubles and 12 stolen bases on the season, and his .783 OPS over the last 53 games is among the best stretch of his career.
The only players who shouldn't be discussed in trade talks are Candelario and Joe Jimenez, who are clearly major pieces of the future. Nicholas Castellanos has evolved into the leader of the team, and Michael Fulmer is pitching the worst baseball of his career, so they might not be worth moving this year, either.
Future talent in place
While the hot start to 2018 might just seem like fun in the short term, it suggests that the new Tigers regime might actually know how to identify talent. They identified Niko Goodrum, Leonys Martin and Louis Coleman as players who could contribute this year, and even Liriano and Fiers have been solid additions.
It gives the front office credibility, especially since the farm system, once ranked among the worst in MLB, has taken a major step forward. Detroit has five starting pitchers ranked in baseball's top 100 prospects -- Franklin Perez, Matt Manning, Casey Mize, Alex Faedo and Beau Burrows -- and several promising young offensive players.
The Tigers' time to make a move isn't now. The time to make a move is when their talented young players are ready for the big-league level.
If a couple of the pitching prospects reach their potential, the Tigers will have a very good starting rotation in the near future. But they still have several holes on offense, and while some of those can be addressed inside the system, it doesn't hurt to add more talent in July.
If players who aren't part of the future, such as Liriano, Fiers and Martin, can fetch prospects with offensive potential, the Tigers should make the move.
Enjoy the ride, but think of the future
The Tigers aren't contenders for the 2018 World Series, but that doesn't mean fans shouldn't enjoy the ride. For years, the team has had high expectations only to fall short or lose in the postseason. This year, the Tigers are playing with house money and hanging in there.
But no matter how fun it is to watch an upstart team, the goal of the organization is to win a World Series, and selling at this year's trade deadline can bring the Tigers closer to that goal.
Last year the Tigers accepted that they couldn't compete, and it resulted in Candelario, who's a big reason this season has been such a success. Keep that in mind if the team goes down a similar road over the next month.
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