Kerry Carpenter Trade Rumors: Top 3 landing spots for Tigers talented slugger

Kerry Carpenter has emerged as a potential star for the Detroit Tigers this season. The 25-year-old from Eustis, Florida, has showcased the power in his bat, setting new career highs in hits, home runs, and RBIs, with more than two months remaining in the 2023 regular season.

His improvement at the plate has not gone unnoticed by clubs around the league, which have reportedly inquired about the outfielder's availability. According to MLB Insider Jon Morosi, there is considerable interest in trading for Carpenter, however, the Tigers are reluctant to move on from the promising talent who is under team control for several years.

"Trade interest in Tigers OF/DH Kerry Carpenter is robust, but rival execs expect Detroit to keep him for the long term. The Tigers view Carpenter as part of their future and believe they can contend sooner rather than later. @MLBNetwork" - @jonmorosi

That being said, if the Detroit Tigers received an intriguing offer from a contender, it may be difficult for them to turn it down. While any deal seems unlikely at this point, here is a look at three potential landing spots for Carpenter if the team does decide to make a shock trade.

#1 - The San Diego Padres could be a part of a blockbuster deal for Kerry Carpenter

The Detroit Tigers are unlikely to trade Kerry Carpenter given the success he has had in such a small time at the MLB level, however, the San Diego Padres could have an intriguing piece to dangle: Juan Soto.

"Controversial but I’m offering Kerry Carpenter in a trade to the Padres for Juan Soto. Then I’m handing Scott Boras a blank check and locking Soto up for 10+ years. He’d be a guaranteed top 10 player in baseball for the whole length of the contract." - @deeptocenter

It may sound absurd given Juan Soto's profile, but given the fact that Soto only has one year of arbitration remaining before he can become an unrestricted free agent, San Diego may consider moving on. There is no guarantee that Soro would extend with Detroit, but it could be worth the gamble if the Friars were interested.

#2 - The Seattle Mariners have an abundance of pitching talent

If the Tigers were looking to acquire young pitching in exchange for Kerry Carpenter, the Seattle Mariners could be an intriguing trade partner given their plethora of pitching talent. One of the names that could interest Detroit is Logan Gilbert, who has been mentioned in trade rumors this season.

#3 - The Tampa Bay Rays have several intriguing prospects to make a deal

It appears unlikely that the Detroit Tigers will not be trading Kerry Carpenter, however, if the Tampa Bay Rays decided that the outfielder is worth pursuing, they have the farm system to do it.

"Rays prospect Jonathan Aranda, 25, is the trade candidate we're not talking about enough. Aranda has a 1.048 OPS at Triple-A this season but has been limited to 36 career @MLB games because the Rays have established players at his primary positions (1B, 2B, 3B). @MLBNetwork" - @jonmorosi

Infield prospect Jonathan Aranda is reportedly available on the trade market, and while he will likely not be enough to secure the deal, the club could package multiple young pieces to get a deal done.