LAKELAND, Fla.-- The Tigers have been busy dealers in August during the past few years, but as teams across baseball adjust to MLB’s rule changes -- including one Trade Deadline on July 31 -- general manager Al Avila welcomes them.

“I’m pretty sure that most GMs, if not all, didn’t like it as far as having to put guys on trade waivers,” Avila said. “So the elimination of trade waivers is, I think, universally accepted is a good thing for everybody.”

The Tigers made the most of the August trade market two years ago, trading Justin Verlander to the Astros and Justin Upton to the Angels on Aug. 31. Both players went unclaimed on waivers thanks to their large contracts.

Avila swung an early August deal last year, sending Mike Fiers to the A’s for two prospects. In that case, Oakland claimed Fiers on trade waivers after the sides couldn’t work out a trade prior to the July 31 Deadline. That won’t be an option this summer.

The Tigers were buyers in August 2016, acquiring infielder Erick Aybar from the Braves for Kade Scivicque and Mike Aviles.

Avila believes a hard deadline on July 31 could either prompt some teams to make moves sooner to avoid being shut out, or bring back the final-day frenzy of past years. He’s not sure if it’ll change expectations on returns.

“The way that the market has been, teams are still very reluctant to trade away good players that have many years of control for even a two-month rental,” Avila said. “It could be a little bit of a benefit, but I can’t say it’s going to be a windfall. We’ll find out.”

One player who could test that market is Nicholas Castellanos, who returned to the Tigers lineup on Sunday after missing the past week with a bruised left hand. The Indians' reported signing of Carlos Gonzalez to a Minor League contract likely eliminates another potential trade partner for Castellanos.

As Spring Training enters its final days, the one remaining chance for any deal before Opening Day appears to be the Giants, who have been openly seeking a right-handed hitter for an outfield spot. The Giants had scouts in Lakeland last week before Castellanos injured his hand.

Tigers welcome September roster changes
While the Trade Deadline changes take effect this year, MLB teams will face changes to roster size in 2020. While teams can carry 26 players for most of the year, expanded rosters in September will be limited to 28 players rather than 40.

That could limit how many Tigers prospects become September callups as the team’s rebuilding project unfolds. But neither Avila nor manager Ron Gardenhire seem to mind.

“I think most of us like that roster size,” Avila said. “Having the 26th guy to start off the season, I think that’s advantageous for everybody, particularly the pitching aspect of it. I think it’ll help with injuries, not taxing guys. And then at the end, I think 28 guys is great, not having a boatload of players going in and out. I think it’s a more true game.”

Avila and Gardenhire have both been on the other end with contending teams that have had to deal with different rosters for the stretch run of a playoff race.

“When you’re in a playoff race, it’s different. You can’t swamp your team with 15 [more] guys,” Gardenhire said. “But when you’re not in a playoff race, you bring up all these guys because you want to see them. Some of them are going to play for you next year. So it becomes a disadvantage to a team still trying for the playoffs. I think that’s what MLB is trying [to do], and I agree 100 percent.”

Up next
The Tigers have their final set of split-squad games for the spring Monday. While Jordan Zimmermann makes his next-to-last tuneup for a potential Opening Day start when the Tigers host the Orioles at Joker Marchant Stadium, Daniel Norris continues his case for a spot on Detroit’s pitching staff when he starts against the Blue Jays in Dunedin. Both games are at 1:05 p.m. ET. Watch the Tigers-O’s game on Fox Sports Detroit and MLB.TV, or listen on AM 1270 in Detroit.