Tigers' four-game sweep at hands of Guardians shares ominous trade history from 2017

The Detroit Tigers have joined the Detroit Pistons in having struggles against Cleveland sports teams, as after the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Pistons in the NBA playoffs, the Cleveland Guardians have swept the Tigers.

But it's not a simple sweep; it was a four-game sweep for the Tigers that puts them down at 20-31, and well behind the playoff pack.

But, as Jason Beck of MLB.com highlighted, this four-game sweep at the hands of the Guardians in Comerica Park makes some ominous history with the last time such a four-game sweep of the Tigers came after a pivotal moment in Tigers history.

Tigers' four-game sweep by Guardians is ominous due to Justin Verlander's reason

"Tigers lose to Guardians, 3-1. They suffer their first 4-game series sweep to Cleveland since July 15-18, 2019, and first to Cleveland at Comerica Park since Step. 1-3, 2017, the series against the Justin Verlander trade," Beck shared.

The Tigers traded Justin Verlander in 2017 to the Houston Astros, and later went on to be swept by the Guardians in Detroit in a four-game series.

Nine years later, the Tigers have lost to Cleveland in a four-game series once again. Verlander is back on the roster, but the real ominous feeling from this piece of MLB history is that the Tigers have another ace who might be on the move in the middle of the season.

Tarik Skubal is a name popping up in trade rumors this season, thanks to how bad the Tigers have played. At 20-31, it wouldn't be a surprise for the Tigers to wind up as sellers by the August 3rd trade deadline.

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If such a future comes to pass, Skubal is someone the Tigers should trade away to get as much as they can for him in case he signs elsewhere in free agency.

With the last time the Tigers were swept in a four-game home series by the Guardians coming in the same year they last traded an ace-level pitcher like Skubal, this history feels like a bad omen.

Of course, the Tigers have plenty of time to turn things around, and Skubal is currently on the injured list, so there are a lot more hurdles to a Skubal trade than there were with Verlander back in 2017.

But this four-game sweep at the hands of the Guardians does make the Tigers acting as sellers more likely. It's a worrying time for Tigers fans, even with Skubal's recovery going well; things are falling apart right now for Detroit.

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