The Detroit Tigers have the best record in baseball, but it still seems as though they have some convincing to do for pundits and fans to believe they're the best team in baseball.
At 59-35, the Tigers are at least three games ahead of every other team in the sport more than halfway through the season. At this time last year, they were getting ready to sell at the trade deadline, but this year, they should be enthusiastic buyers.
What will the Tigers be after, though? How about an offensive upgrade on the left side of the infield, which has been the one bugaboo for an otherwise terrific lineup in 2025?
One baseball writer thinks that could mean the Tigers take a huge swing at the biggest rental bat that might be available this summer.
On Friday, Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report suggested Arizona Diamondbacks star Eugenio Suárez, who leads all third basemen with 29 home runs, as a blockbuster trade fit for Detroit.
"Zach McKinstry has fared well at the plate in 2025, seeing his largest chunk of time at third base. But McKinstry can play all over the diamond, and adding Suárez could allow manager A.J. Hinch to utilize McKinstry at shortstop and right field, among other spots," Kelly wrote.
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"The Tigers aren't going to give up a bounty for a rental third baseman, but minor league pitchers such as Jaden Hamm, Owen Hall and Troy Melton could all make sense for the Diamondbacks to target as possible return pieces."
Suárez, 33, is a true rental on a $15 million salary this season. That could lower his price tag, but the D-backs also don't necessarily need to sell, though they have an heir apparent at third base in top prospect Jordan Lawlar.
There would surely be a long list of suitors if Suárez is on the market, with the New York Yankees, one of the Tigers' top competitors for the American League pennant, principal among them.
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