Fulmer hopes Tigers 'go all out' if they sell
Michael Fulmer doesn't want the Detroit Tigers to employ an ambiguous approach to the trade deadline.
As the July 31 deadline draws closer, the Tigers have already made a significant move by sending veteran outfielder J.D. Martinez to the Arizona Diamondbacks for a trio of prospects.
But Fulmer, who's well aware the Tigers are now ready to deal their aging and expensive veterans, hopes the front office doesn't hold back if it does decide to hit the rebuild button.
"Obviously everybody knows it's coming up and some more moves are gonna be made besides the J.D. (Martinez) move. I hope that if we go ahead and sell, I hope we do it all," Fulmer told MLB.com's Jordan Horrobin. "I hope we go all out. I hope we don't kind of sell a few guys here. I hope we get younger.
"I hope we just kind of take a more business approach to it. And that's what I kind of told (assistant general manager) David (Chadd). Whatever has to be done, it needs to be done. I just want to win."
While Fulmer's request could be a little harsh on some of Detroit's longest-tenured members - some of whom happen to earn the highest salaries - the numbers do support his desire for youth.
| Player | Age | 2017 Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Victor Martinez | 38 | $18M |
| Ian Kinsler | 35 | $11M |
| Miguel Cabrera | 34 | $28M |
| Justin Verlander | 34 | $28M |
| Anibal Sanchez | 33 | $16.8M |
| Jordan Zimmermann | 31 | $18M |
(Salaries courtesy: Spotrac)
The Tigers own baseball's sixth-oldest major-league roster at 29.1 years of age, behind only the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Angels, Kansas City Royals, Washington Nationals, and Toronto Blue Jays.
That vast experience has failed to help the Tigers in recent memory, however, as they haven't reached the postseason since 2014.