The Detroit Tigers have been talked about heavily with the trade deadline just around the corner, but when they’re discussed, it revolves around back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. As of right now, the Tigers have told teams that Skubal is off-limits as Detroit looks to claw back into the standings.

That being said, the Tigers could still find trade packages this season, especially if things go south as they did in May. While Skubal is the biggest name in Detroit’s system to get moved at the trade deadline, one MLB.com analyst believes there could be another player who could be packing his bags.

Could This Tiger Get Traded This Summer?

Since Scott Harris has taken over as President of Baseball Operations for the Tigers, mixed emotions have come from how he handles trades at the deadline. Detroit was one of the best teams in the American League last season and was a buyer at the deadline, but Harris only brought in one player who remains on the MLB roster, resulting in backlash given their standing.

According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, one player that the Tigers could trade this deadline is former first overall pick, first baseman Spencer Torkelson. Torkelson has been an interesting case for Detroit, showcasing power every other season.

Feinsand listed Torkelson as a trade candidate who could get traded this deadline, who needs a change of scenery. While the thought is there, given how many years are left under team control, it doesn’t feel like a move that the front office would do… this season.

“The Tigers have 21-year-old Josue Briceño (MLB Pipeline’s No. 64 overall prospect) working his way toward the Majors, giving Detroit a potential replacement for 2027. If the disappointing Tigers decide to reset at the Trade Deadline, Torkelson could be a risk-reward acquisition for a club seeking a power bat,” Feinsand wrote.

Sure, Torkelson hasn’t been the Miguel Cabrera power replacement some had hoped for, but he has been a key asset to the offense over the last few seasons. When he’s sending the ball out of the ballpark, he’s at his best, and he might be starting to tap into that side of himself again.

If Detroit is telling teams that Skubal, a player on an expiring contract set to hit free agency at season’s end, is off limits, it’s hard to believe that they would find a trade involving Torkelson and banking on Briceño for the future.

Over the last two weeks of action, Torkelson is hitting .250 at the plate with two home runs and five RBIs, but he has 11 hits in total. A.J. Hinch has been wanting Torkelson to find productivity that isn’t just a home run or a walk, and he’s started to live up to the assignment.

Since the Tigers aren’t true sellers at the moment, despite their fourth-place standing at 27-39 ahead of a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins, fans shouldn’t lean too much into the thought of Torkelson getting traded until there’s a true direction for the franchise.

As of June, Detroit has a record of 5-1 this month, with most of its remaining games set to be played at Comerica Park.

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A Detroit teenager charged in connection with a shooting involving a 14-year-old boy was back in court on Monday for a preliminary exam.

Ramon Smith, 17, is charged with assault with intent to murder, assault with intent to do great bodily harm, felonious assault, carrying a concealed weapon, and three counts of felony firearm.

Smith, who will be tried as an adult, is accused of shooting 14-year-old Tabaun Clark in the chest during a teen takeover in Detroit on May 17 near Farmer Street.

On Monday, Clark testified in court.

“How many shots did you hear?” an attorney asked Clark.

“Two before I felt something,” Clark said. 

“Where did you feel something?”

“In my chest.”

Officials allege Smith got into a fight with a group, took out a gun and fired multiple shots, striking Clark, who was in the crowd, before running off.

“Were you bleeding?” an attorney asked Clark. 

“Yes,” Clark replied. 

“Did you realize you had been shot?”

“Yes,” Clark said. 

“What was going through your mind at that point?” the attorney asked. 

“Try to keep breathin(g),” said Clark.

Detective Serena DeJonge with the Detroit Police Department also took the stand, reading written responses from the defendant once in custody, who describes what he says played out the night of the shooting.

According to DeJonge, the defendant said “a gun fell, so I grabbed it and put it in my book bag.” After the fight, DeJonge said the defendant claimed that as he was walking away, the group followed him. DeJonge said the defendant reported seeing “one of them reaching,” and he pulled his gun out of his bag and fired shots at the group.

Evidence revealed in court alleges the defendant fired six shots instead of three.

Judge Patricia Jefferson said there’s enough probable cause to go to trial. The case is now bound over to Wayne County Circuit Court.

Smith is due back in court on June 15. He remains at the juvenile detention facility.