Tigers interested in Miami Marlins' pitching depth

Detroit is in pursuit of starting pitching depth and the Marlins might have a few available arms. The Marlins could move a starter or two before the July 31 trade deadline, and according to FOX Sports' Jon Morosi, the Tigers have scouted Miami's available starters.

#Tigers have scouted and done preliminary work on #Marlins available starters. Miami has rotation depth to trade.

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 2, 2015

Morosi was among the first to report Miami's starters were drawing a notable amount of interest earlier in the week however the teams interested were unclear. Mat Latos, Dan Haren, Tom Koehler, and Brad Hand are all options to be dealt to contending teams though the Marlins are likely to only trade one or two for depth purposes.

Detroit is seeking an upgrade after watching its rotation post a 4.29 ERA (ninth in the American League) heading into Thursday's contest. Their 4.10 FIP ranks tenth and their 17.9 percent strikeout rate is the fifth lowest. Alfredo Simon has not had a notable amount of success and the amount of success Justin Verlander can have in 2015 is unclear.

Ultimately, the Tigers are in pursuit of a veteran starter who can help them make a playoff push as the All-Star break approaches. The Marlins might be the best trade partners because of the status of Haren and Latos. Both Latos (5.27 ERA and 3.62 FIP) and Haren (3.45 ERA) are expected to become free agents at the end of the season and as a result the asking price for either likely will not be notably high.

If the Tigers are interested in controllable talent, the Marlins could opt to move Koehler or Hand. Jose Urena, who upon the return of Jose Fernandez was sent back to Triple-A New Orleans, could be discussed in trade conversations but the Marlins are not expected to be open to moving him. Justin Nicolino might also draw some interest.

While the Marlins have not discussed their deadline strategy, the club will likely pursue a bat and pitching depth. Regardless of the other organization involved, the Marlins could have a different price in mind for each starter. Miami's rotation is crowded and a starter may be dealt moving forward. Several contending squads could check in but the Tigers are a club to watch.