Tigers nine trade deadline assets have Gleyber Torres, not Tarik Skubal, problem

The Detroit Tigers are, unfortunately, trending towards being sellers at the MLB trade deadline later this summer. With a 31-44 record, the Tigers are not in good shape to make the postseason.

While it's not certain they're going to sell, unless they significantly improve from now until the August 3 deadline, the Tigers are more likely to sell this summer. If they do sell, the Tarik Skubal question is going to be an interesting one for the Tigers front office.

However, as Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report noted, the question about Skubal isn't so much a problem as the issue Detroit is currently facing with second baseman Gleyber Torres, another top trade chip, ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

Tigers have Gleyber Torres, not Tarik Skubal, trade deadline problem

"Their Best Trade Chips: LHP Tarik Skubal, 2B Gleyber Torres, RHP Casey Mize, RHP Justin Verlander," Rymer writes. "... Torres' trade candidacy just got complicated via an oblique strain."

While there will be questions about how much Skubal would go for in a trade, whether Mize is dealt, and if the Tigers could get anything for Verlander, the Torres question for the deadline is the much larger problem.

Torres is injured with an oblique strain and is on the injured list for the second time this season with the same issue. That is a very concerning situation for the Tigers, and especially for any team that might have interest in him.

With a banged-up Torres, along with his $22.025 million contract this season, he will make him a problematic player to trade away for the Tigers.

MORE: Tarik Skubal being traded by Tigers would help him in free agency

If he were healthy, the big contract wouldn't be as concerning for teams, as his production this season has been more than worthwhile of picking up in a deal.

Torres has a 2.80 batting average with four homers in 144 at-bats this season to go with 1.8 bWAR, a .790 OPS, and 120 OPS+. If he played at this level all season, he might've been the leading candidate to start the All-Star game at second base.

But the Tigers' infielder instead has been dealing with oblique issues and might not be a trade candidate this season, thanks to these injury issues giving interested teams pause.

Torres is the biggest issue for the Tigers at the deadline. Skubal should be traded without any worry if the Tigers are sellers, as the return they could get would be worthwhile for Detroit.

Torres should be moved too, but his injury will pose a problem in talks this summer unless he can prove he's healthy, which he might not have much time to prove as such.

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