How The 1987 Trade Altered The Detroit Tigers' Legacy

The Tigers' decision to trade a young John Smoltz for veteran Doyle Alexander helped them win a division title but cost them a future Hall of Famer.

Apr. 12, 2026 at 5:35pm

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A fragmented, geometric painting depicting the motion of a baseball pitcher, rendered in bold navy, green, and orange hues, conceptually representing the impact of a pivotal trade decision.A cubist interpretation of the fateful 1987 trade that sent a young John Smoltz from the Detroit Tigers to the Atlanta Braves, altering the course of both franchises.Lansing Today

In 1987, the Detroit Tigers traded promising 20-year-old pitcher John Smoltz to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for veteran Doyle Alexander, a move that helped the Tigers win their division that year but ultimately cost them Smoltz's future Hall of Fame success with the Braves over the next two decades.

Why it matters

The Tigers' 1987 trade of Smoltz, a Michigan native who went on to become an 8-time All-Star and World Series champion with the Braves, is seen as a missed opportunity that could have altered the trajectory of the Tigers' franchise in the 1990s and beyond.

The details

In a desperate move to bolster their pitching staff and chase the division title, the Tigers traded the then-20-year-old Smoltz, who they had drafted out of Michigan State, to the Braves in exchange for the 36-year-old Alexander. Alexander helped the Tigers win the division that year, going 9-0 down the stretch, but retired by 1989. Meanwhile, Smoltz became a cornerstone of the Braves' rotation, winning a Cy Young Award, a World Series, and being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

  • In 1984, the Detroit Tigers last won the World Series.
  • In 1985, the Detroit Tigers drafted John Smoltz out of Michigan State University.
  • In 1987, the Detroit Tigers traded the 20-year-old John Smoltz to the Atlanta Braves.
  • In 1995, John Smoltz helped the Atlanta Braves win the World Series.
  • In 2015, John Smoltz was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The players

John Smoltz

A Michigan native who was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 1985 and later traded to the Atlanta Braves, where he became an 8-time All-Star, Cy Young Award winner, and World Series champion, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015.

Doyle Alexander

A 36-year-old veteran pitcher who the Detroit Tigers acquired from the Atlanta Braves in 1987 in exchange for John Smoltz, helping the Tigers win their division that year before retiring by 1989.

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The takeaway

The Tigers' 1987 trade of the promising young John Smoltz for the veteran Doyle Alexander helped them win a division title that year, but ultimately cost them the chance to build a championship team around Smoltz in the 1990s, as he went on to become a Hall of Fame pitcher with the Braves.