The Detroit Tigers, needing help in both their rotation and at second base, filled two holes in one move, acquiring second baseman Omar Infante and starting pitcher Anibal Sanchez from the Miami Marlins for 21-year-old pitcher Jacob Turner, two Tigers prospects, and a draft pick in the new competitive-balance lottery. From MLB.com's Joe Frisario:
There is strong speculation that the Marlins and Tigers are nearing completion on a trade.
The Marlins would be parting with Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante in a deal that would send pitching prospect Jacob Turner to Miami.
And Jon Morosi says the deal is done:
#Tigers acquire Infante and A Sanchez from Marlins
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 23, 2012
With an update on the names:
Infante and A. Sanchez for Turner, Brantly, LHP Flynn and a pick.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 23, 2012
That'd be Rob Brantly, a 23-year-old catcher in AAA, and Brian Flynn, a gigantic pitcher who has split time between High-A and Triple A this season. The draft pick would be the 37th-overall pick of the 2013 draft, and it would be swapped for the Tigers' pick awarded to them after the second-round pick of the draft under the new competitive-balance lottery rules.
Also, the Tigers, who just signed Prince Fielder for nine years, were awarded a pick in the competitive-balance lottery. Just clearing that up.
The 28-year-old Sanchez is going to be a free agent after the season, and he had a 3.94 ERA and a solid strikeout-to-walk ratio of 110 to 33 in 121 innings for the Marlins. The right-hander struggled through injury problems earlier in his career, but he's made 32 starts in each of the last two seasons.
Infante is still under contract for the 2013 season, and the 31-year-old was in the middle of a very typical season, hitting .287/.312/.442, which is roughly in line with what he's done over the past four seasons. He was signed and developed by the Tigers, playing in the organization from the time he was 17 until he was traded to the Braves after the 2007 season.
Turner was the Tigers' first-round pick in 2009, drafted 9th overall. He has an 8.28 ERA in the majors over six career starts, but he was one of the best prospects in baseball, ranking #22 in Baseball America's top-100 list before this season. The sinkerballer dominated high-A this year, and held his own against older competition in AAA.