With the trade deadline at hand and a 50-game suspension for shortstop Jhonny Peralta now perhaps imminent, the Tigers on Tuesday night traded minor-league outfield prospect Avisail Garcia to acquire young Boston shortstop Jose Iglesias, according to several reports.
The transaction was part of a reported three-way transaction in which Boston acquired veteran right-handed starting pitcher Jake Peavy from Chicago.
While Iglesias would go from the Red Sox to the Tigers, Garcia would go from the Tigers to the White Sox.
There were also reports there could be more players in the deal. According to the Boston Globe, the Red Sox were getting minor-league right-hander Brayan Villarreal from the Tigers. As of late Tuesday night, the deal hadn't been announced.
The reported transaction came in the countdown to Wednesday's 4 p.m. non-waiver trade deadline.
Iglesias, 23, would give the Tigers a proven big-league shortstop to replace Peralta. He showed off sensational defensive skills when Boston visited the Tigers last month. The Red Sox have veteran Stephen Drew at shortstop.
NIGHTENGALE: Peers won't soon forgive suspended players
The right-handed-hitting Iglesias is batting.330 this season with one homer and 19 RBIs in 62 games. He's dropped off lately: four hits in his last 40 at-bats.
Iglesias, who is listed at 5-11 and 185 pounds, has a career average of .280. Unlike Peralta, he doesn't have power. In 97 career games, he has two homers.
In the hours before news of the trade broke, reports surfaced that Peralta could be among the big-league players who accept a 50-game suspension within the next few days for their involvement in the Biogenesis drug scandal. The Associated Press said Friday appears the likely day for all the suspensions to be announced.
If a 50-game suspension for Peralta is announced by Friday night's game, he would be eligible to return with five games left in the regular season.
SUSPENSIONS: Under MLB's drug program
The Tigers have known for weeks that Peralta could be suspended sometime this season for his reported involvement in the Biogenesis drug scandal.
At a press conference on trade-deadline issues Tuesday afternoon, Dombrowski at first refused to directly address what would theclub would do if Peralta were suspended. "It's a Major League Baseball issue, so we're not in a position to discuss it," he said.
In response to later questions, he said the club wasn't looking for a bat and he listed the Tigers' organizational depth at shortstop.
"Argenis Diaz (the Triple-A shortstop) is an outstanding defensive shortstop," Dombrowski said. "(Danny) Worth is playing second base (at Triple-A) -- we know he can play shortstop. (Ramon) Santiago can go over there and play.
"You're not going to get the offense from any of them that you would get on a regular basis."
He declined to lengthen that sentence to "on a regular basis from Peralta" or "on a regular basis from an average big-league shortstop." But it appeared to be what he meant.
Garcia, 22, has played for the Tigers in parts of the last two seasons, and he had some standout moments in the post-season last year. He and Nick Castellanos were the Tigers top two outfield prospects. Garcia's exit would make Castellanos path to the majors less crowded.
On Tuesday afternoon, Dombrowski praised Castellanos but didn't offer any indication of when the top prospect might make his big-league debut.
New reliever Jose Veras essentially fills the vacancy for a late-inning right-hander created by the absence of Octavio Dotel, who has been out since April with a bad elbow. As for whether Dotel can pitch again for the Tigers this season, Dombrowski said:
"I really do not know. There are encouraging signs. He's supposed to throw batting practice (Tuesday) for the first time to live
hitters. He has felt better now than he has felt than at any point all year long, he has said. But we all know that throwing to hitters (is) different than coming in to pitch in a big-league game."
hitters. He has felt better now than he has felt than at any point all year long, he has said. But we all know that throwing to hitters (is) different than coming in to pitch in a big-league game."
John Lowe writes for The Detroit Free Press, a Gannett property.
PLAYERS TRADED BEFORE THE JULY 31 DEADLINE:
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