Just five years ago, the Royals and Tigers were battling for the Central Division title. The Tigers would edge the Royals by one game, but the Royals would get the last laugh by making the playoffs as a Wild Card, winning an epic game, and going on an amazing run that would lead to a pennant and a championship the following year.
The Tigers stumbled and missed the playoffs the next two seasons, and in the middle of the 2017, the sell-off began. Big money veterans Justin Verlander, Justin Upton, J.D. Martinez, and Alex Avila were all traded within a few weeks of each other, and the Tigers bottomed out with 98 losses, their worst season since 2003.