Bleacher Report speculates Rangers could have a new Jacob deGrom trade partner this winter

With all of the rumors and nixed trades involving Jacob deGrom and the Atlanta Braves over the last three months, we almost forgot there are 28 other teams that could be interested in the services of the two-time Cy Young Award-winning Texas Rangers' ace.

The Bleacher Report is conjuring up a deal in which deGrom would be headed to the Motor City this winter, and it is an intriguing option for sure. They believe that the best trade for the Tigers to make is for a front-line starting pitcher to replace the production of back-to-back Cy Young winner Taik Skubal. Does it make sense for the Rangers, though?

Does trading Jacob deGrom to the Tigers make sense for the Rangers this winter?

The fact that deGrom has come all the way back from his second Tommy John surgery to put in two full seasons shouldn't be overlooked. He has been a warrior for the Rangers organization and deserves praise for his comeback. He has posted a 3.44 ERA since 2023. Still, he will be entering his age 38 season, and his 2026 numbers were considerably worse than in 2025. It should also be noted that deGrom has a no-trade clause and has already exercised it once at the deadline in 2026 in a deal that would have sent him to the Braves for Spencer Strider.

He is owed $37M in 2027, with a $20M club option in 2028. Those are big numbers for the Tigers to absorb for an aging pitcher whose halcyon days are clearly behind him. Furthermore, what do the Tigers have to offer in return? They have plenty of young positional players who have already made waves in the big leagues, including guys like likely AL ROY Kevin McGonigle, Colt Keith, Dillon Dingler, and RHP Troy Melton.

They also have several promising prospects like outfielders Zyhir Hope and Max Clark, shortstop Bryce Rainier, and RHP Jackson Jobe, who just came back from rehabbing a torn UCL.
Those are all very talented players who could either contribute right away or in the near future.

The Tigers are not going to deal McGonigle, Melton, or Dingler, as they are cornerstones for the future of the franchise. Still, if Keith, Hope, orJobe could be had in a swap for deGrom, Chris Young has to be open to that.

Keith is an athletic 25-year-old 2B/3B who is coming off a season where he slashed .258/.322/.406. He is the one big leaguer who the Tigers might be willing to part with to get a top-of-the-rotation arm like deGrom.

Hope is one of the highest-rated prospects in MLB. At just 21 years old, he is expected to make his major league debut sometime in 2027 or early 2028. He is a compact, speedy outfielder who hits for plus power as a lefty. As the Tigers' top-rated prospect, it might be difficult to get Tigers GM Jeff Greenberg to bite.

If you want to talk about a pitcher-for-pitcher deal, then the Rangers are likely looking at a reclamation hopeful like Jobe. He has notched a 3.91 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with 91 strikeouts in 99 innings over parts of three seasons. Unfortunately, he has dealt with several injuries already and comes with a good amount of risk.

So, would a deal with the Tigers for deGrom make sense? Absolutely. This is a team that is looking to retool. Young may not say it, but he knows that the organization is being bogged down by the oversized contracts of a handful of players whose best days are in the rearview mirror. If you can inject any quality new blood into the franchise for an aging ace, you have to pull the trigger.

Again, deGrom holds all the cards with his no-trade clause, so all of this talk could be for nothing if he doesn't want to uproot his family and head to Michigan. If he were to waive that clause, we believe that Young would have to get either Keith or Jobe in return. Hope would be the ideal chip.

This type of trade isn't about dealing for an area of need as much as it is getting as much talent for deGrom while he is healthy and has value.

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