http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2017/07/tigers_twins_preview_anibal_sa.html#incart_river_index
Tigers, Twins preview: Anibal Sanchez opens 3-game series in Minnesota.
Mlive

http://m.tigers.mlb.com/news/articl...tabbed-for-divisional-clash/?topicId=26688836
Anibal tabbed to start opener vs. Twins.
Tigers official site

Things to know about this game
Sanchez has faced Minnesota 20 times (16 starts) in his career, pitching to a 5-4 record with a 3.65 ERA in 98 2/3 innings.

In 19 career starts against the Tigers, Santana has a 9-4 record with a 3.08 ERA, 110 strikeouts and 38 walks across 122 2/3 frames.
When Santana has thrown a pitch in the bottom two-thirds of the strike zone this season, according to Statcast, batters have hit just .213 against him, tied for third lowest among pitchers who have had at least 150 at-bats end in those locations. Yet when he has strayed into the upper third of the zone, his .377 average allowed is the fourth highest (min. 50 at-bats).

As of Thursday, Minnesota is 14th in the AL in ERA (4.80).
Detroit is 13th (4.77).

The Tigers haven?t played the Twins since April 23. Minnesota is a half game behind the Cleveland Indians for the AL Central lead and a half game behind the New York Yankees for the second wild card spot

Anibal Sanchez allowed three home runs Sunday vs the Blue Jays after giving up just one in his first four starts this season (24 innings).
Sanchez is 5-4 with a 3.65 ERA in 20 games (16 starts) against the Twins, although he has struggled against them this season, allowing eight runs on nine hits in three innings.

Santana is tied for second in the AL in wins (11) and third in ERA (2.99).
Santana has allowed one or fewer runs in 11 starts this season.
Santana is 9-4 with a 3.08 ERA in 19 starts against Detroit. Notable Tigers against him: Ian Kinsler .324 (23 for 71, 3 HRs), Victor Martinez .324 (12 for 37, 2 HRs), Miguel Cabrera .267 (8 for 30, 1 HR).

Detroit's hottest hitter:
Outfielder Alex Presley is hitting .417 (10 for 24) with three doubles in his last nine games.

Detroit's coldest hitter:
Catcher Alex Avila is just 4 for 23 (.179) with no extra-base hits over his past eight games.

Tigers by the numbers:
Overall: 43-51
Current streak: L2
At Comerica Park: 25-21
On the road: 18-30
Day games: 21-15
Night games: 22-36
vs. AL East: 10-10
vs. AL Central: 22-18
vs. AL West: 7-17
vs. NL: 4-6

Vegas Insider says sports books favor the Twins. The consensus has the Twins at -130 and the Tigers at +120 on the money line. This means a $100 bet on the Tigers would win $120, while a $130 bet on the Twins would win $100.

End-of-season projection:
After Thursday's loss, the Tigers' final projected record by FiveThirtyEight is 76-86. The site gives Detroit a 7 percent chance of making the playoffs and a 4 percent chance of winning the division.

http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2017/07/dawel_lugo_nick_castellanos.html#incart_river_index
Is it too early to view Dawel Lugo as Tigers' third baseman of the future?
Mlive

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2017/07/21/detroit-tigers-minnesota-twins/499134001/
Detroit Tigers' next opponent: Minnesota Twins.
Freep

http://detroitsportsnation.com/detr...stination-makes-sense-justin-verlander/94469/
Only one destination makes sense for Justin Verlander.
DSN

Bob Wojnowski should be flipping burgers ar McDonalds. Huge shithead.

Diamondbacks | Arizona acquires J.D. Martinez
Detroit Tigers OF J.D. Martinez was acquired by the Arizona Diamondbacks Tuesday, July 18, in exchange for INFs Dawel Lugo, Sergio Alcantara and Jose King. Source: Tigers.com

BHQ take: The Diamondbacks, on the losing end in 11 of their last 14 games, reeled in the biggest trading-deadline bat available in Martinez, who had a .912 OPS during his four seasons in Detroit. A right-field only OF for the past several years, he's likely to move David Peralta to LF, where the Diamondbacks have been running out the likes of Daniel Descalso, Gregor Blanco and Chris Herrmann?who will all take a playing-time hit with Martinez's arrival. (The team will have further OF decisions to make when Yasmani Tomas returns from his groin injury, ETA mid-August.)
Martinez missed the first six weeks of 2017 with a sprained ligament in his foot but is in full throttle in July, slashing .340/.407/.617 for the month, and the move from largely neutral Comerica Park to Chase Field could enhance his already remarkable 28% hr/f. Also noteworthy is Martinez's abuse of LHP (1.661 OPS in 38 AB), and for all of ARI's offensive prowess, their collective .660 OPS vL is third-lowest in MLB.
Clearly, landing Martinez is a win for the Diamondbacks and his fantasy owners for the balance of 2017, and if the free-agent-to-be takes a liking to his new environs, it could put the team in a favorable light if they decide to negotiate for his services for 2018 and beyond. ?Rob Carroll

Impact: High

BaseballHQ

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2017/07/21/could-justin-wilson-be-headed-to-milwaukee/
Could Justin Wilson Be Headed To Milwaukee?
CBSDetroit

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2017/07/21/avila-to-critics-you-cant-have-it-both-ways/
Avila To Critics: ?You Can?t Have It Both Ways?.
CBSDetroit

https://www.blessyouboys.com/2017/7...k-mets-detroit-tigers-bring-him-back-al-avila
Former Tiger Curtis Granderson may retire after the 2017 season.
Granderson, 36, wants to play another year, but only in the right situation.
BYBTB

https://www.blessyouboys.com/2017/7/21/16008468/mlb-trade-rumors-ian-kinsler-tigers
Ian Kinsler trade rumors: Boston Red Sox may be a fit.
The market for a second baseman is thin, but there are other uses for Ian.
BYBTB

https://www.blessyouboys.com/2017/7/21/16012790/tigers-tv-ratings-down-still-top-5-overall
Tigers TV ratings drop 22 percent during dismal season.
BYBTB

http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2017/07/tigers_trade_rumors_4.html#incart_river_index
Stupid Tigers trade rumors: Ian Kinsler as a 3rd baseman for the Red Sox? Probably not.
Mlive

https://www.blessyouboys.com/2017/7/21/16008468/mlb-trade-rumors-ian-kinsler-tigers
Ian Kinsler trade rumors: Boston Red Sox may be a fit.
The market for a second baseman is thin, but there are other uses for Ian.
BYBTB

http://motorcitybengals.com/2017/07/21/detroit-tigers-rumors-alex-avila-cubs/
Detroit Tigers Rumors: Alex Avila linked with Chicago Cubs.
MCBTB

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/m...ordan-zimmermann-second-half-start/501268001/
Tigers' Zimmermann looks to build off last start, continue good location.
Freep

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sp...nn-starting-look-like-healthy-self/103907032/
Zimmermann starting to look like his healthy self again.
Detnews

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/m...it-tigers-andrew-romine-utilityman/501390001/
Andrew Romine starting at catcher? Don't rule it out for this season.
Freep

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sp...ran-presley-career-year-fifth-team/103905366/
Veteran Presley having career year with fifth team.
Detnews

http://m.tigers.mlb.com/news/articl...on-working-to-overcome-woes/?topicId=27118376
Tigers befuddled by A. Wilson's recent woes.
Tigers official site

http://www.espn.com/blog/mlb/rumors...l-tigers-having-difficulty-in-verlander-talks
Rumor Central: Tigers having difficulty in Justin Verlander talks?
espn

Verlander ranks among the top 10 pitchers in Tigers history in career starts (372), innings (2,456), wins (178), WHIP (1.20) and opponent average (.237).
His 2,308 strikeouts while wearing the Old English D -- which he has for all 13 years of his career -- are second only to Mickey Lolich (2,679).

The Tigers are reportedly willing to pay the rest of Justin Verlander?s remaining 2017 salary in order to facilitate a deal. This works out to roughly $10.89MM. Reports earlier this week indicated that Detroit was open to including some money as part of a Verlander deal, though according to rival executives who have spoken, the Tigers would need to bump that figure up to $25MM-$30MM if the club hopes to receive a good prospect return for Verlander.
The former Cy Young Award winner?s future salary obligations ($28MM in each of the next two seasons, and a $22MM vesting option for 2020) and his struggles in 2017 have greatly limited his trade value, teams like the Cubs and Dodgers still had scouts at Verlander?s most recent outing.
MLBTradeRumors

The Cubs have expressed the most interest in catcher Alex Avila, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports (Twitter links), and Nightengale feels Avila will be the next notable Tiger to leave Detroit now that J.D. Martinez has been traded. Nightengale figures the Tigers would “ideally” receive a mid-level prospect in exchange for Avila, who is enjoying a career year just before hitting free agency this winter. Detroit is reportedly getting a lot of interest in Avila, though the Cubs and Blue Jays are the only teams specifically linked to the catcher (and Toronto has since acquired Miguel Montero).

Also from Nightengale, he reports that the Brewers “have been aggressive” in their pursuit of Tigers closer Justin Wilson. The Astros, Nationals, Rays and Red Sox are among the other teams known to be checking in on Wilson, who has only elevated his stock since taking over the ninth inning for Detroit. Milwaukee has been linked to any number of relievers and controllable starters, with Wilson joining such names as Brad Hand, Addison Reed and Sonny Gray.
MLBTradeRumors

With the Red Sox looking far and wide for third base help, a couple of creative solutions are proposed by ESPN?s Scott Lauber and FOX Sports? Ken Rosenthal (writing on his Facebook page). Lauber suggests that Boston could explore a deal for the Athletics? Yonder Alonso (14 games as a third baseman over his eight-year MLB career) while Rosenthal?s suggestion is perhaps even more outside-the-box: the Tigers? Ian Kinsler, who has played all of two innings at third in his 12 years in the Show. Both suggestions, it should be noted, are based on only speculation from the two writers. Rosenthal reports that the Red Sox and Tigers haven?t mentioned Kinsler in trade talks between the two clubs, while WEEI.com?s Rob Bradford (Twitter link) reports that Boston isn?t considering Alonso to fill its third base gap. Still, as per Rosenthal, Dombrowski is apparently considering several infielders who could switch positions and play third, so the Sox might yet end up with a unique choice before the deadline.