3 Trade Landing Spots For Tigers' Casey Mize
Casey Mize is having a career year, carrying a 2.79 ERA with the best whiff rate, strikeout rate, and hard-hit rate of his career, eight years after the Tigers took him No. 1 overall in the 2018 draft.
He recently threw a one-hitter with 10 strikeouts and no walks over seven scoreless innings against the Yankees.
Per ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel, Mize carries a 60 percent chance of being traded, and with Detroit at 49-54 and fourth in the AL Central, it is increasingly likely the Tigers move their impending free agent rather than hold him. Here are three fits.
REPORT: Detroit Tigers Pitchers Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize BOTH have a 60% chance of being traded at the deadline, per @JeffPassan pic.twitter.com/03ka1ziQc9
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) July 21, 2026
St. Louis Cardinals
Passan and McDaniel connected Mize to St. Louis.
The Cardinals are a surprise contender sitting just 1.5 games out of a Wild Card spot, and they should at least consider adding a starter at the right price.
Mize would give a St. Louis rotation that leans heavily on Michael McGreevy a legit frontline arm for a stretch run, and as a pure rental, he would not cost the Cardinals their most valuable long-term pieces.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs are the most logical fit given their desperate rotation situation.
Chicago holds serious playoff aspirations but has watched several starters land on the injured list, and adding an arm like Mize as a rental could pay major dividends in August and September.
The Cubs also have the pitching and hitting prospects that fit Detroit's desired return, making a match relatively easy to construct if the Tigers make him available.
Atlanta Braves
The Braves stand out as a top option if Detroit sells.
Atlanta still holds a lead in the NL East despite a rotation ravaged by injuries, and president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has made clear that starting pitching remains at the forefront of the front office's plans.
Mize is thought to be more available than Skubal, and for a Braves team urged for months to add a front-line starter, he is a realistic target.
The Athletics, Diamondbacks, and Blue Jays have also been mentioned as suitors, meaning finding a landing spot should not be an issue.
With Mize pitching the best baseball of his career and free agency looming, the Tigers will likely find it hard to pass up the chance to sell high.
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