DETROIT -- The Tigers' clubhouse was still waking up Sunday from the dream ending to Saturday night's walk-off win against the Astros. The news of Cleveland's overnight trade for closer Andrew Miller -- and the vetoed deal for catcher Jonathan Lucroy -- did little to dampen their mood.
"It certainly makes them a better team," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "It will most likely have an impact on our division. That being said, we're 1-11 even without [Miller] against the Indians, so maybe it'll change our luck."
Said second baseman Ian Kinsler: "They made the moves they thought were necessary. I don't know what to say. It's not my worry, really."
If anything, the Tigers could carry a quiet sense of flattery that their recent winning ways added pressure on the Indians' front office to make a move. But for now, Cleveland's dealings appear unlikely to prompt the Tigers to raise their trade offers for pitching help and include the young Major League talent that sellers want, such as Michael Fulmer, Daniel Norris and Joe Jimenez, Detroit's No. 5 prospect.
Thus, unless asking prices fall, the only dealing the Tigers do before Monday's 4 p.m. ET non-waiver Trade Deadline will be small, if any.
The fact that the Rays sent a scout to Norris' rehab start at Double-A Erie Thursday night said a lot about what Tampa Bay wants for its starters. The Tigers, for their part, had a scout at the Rays' two-game series earlier this week at the Dodgers, where Matt Moore and Chris Archer started. But while Archer would be expected to require a haul in return, even supporting-cast starters like Moore are carrying a heavy price tag.
The Tigers have also scouted Phillies starter Jeremy Hellickson in recent days. Other pitchers of interest include Seattle's Wade Miley, now that the Mariners have fallen further back in the American League West and Wild Card races.
Take Fulmer, Norris and Jimenez out of consideration, and the Tigers' organizational strength is almost entirely at the Class A levels in West Michigan and Lakeland. While Beau Burrows, Christin Stewart and Derek Hill are well-regarded, they aren't the Major League-ready prospects teams want to headline a trade package. More often, they're thrown into such packages.
The same goes for relievers such as Miller, whose offseason asking price was believed to include Fulmer and Norris. Beyond that, the price for second-tier relievers has been elevated enough that the Tigers could get a similar impact by simply promoting Jimenez down the stretch.
The Indians, Astros and Cubs all built a wealth of prospect talent in part by not trading away prized prospects in previous years. The Tigers are trying to build that depth now.