Tigers GM Al Avila faces tough first trade deadline decision

11:47 PM ET

DETROIT — After the team’s 6-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night, Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus deflected the obvious post-game question — what to do with pitcher Anibal Sanchez in five days? — but he answered one with more far-reaching implications hours earlier in the dugout.

What does he think this team will do heading into the August 1 trade deadline?

Sanchez’ status has an immediate impact on the rotation — another start for him could mean an extra rehab appearance for injured pitcher Daniel Norris — but the other matter has the potential to cause long-term reverberations.

And according to Ausmus, the team has yet to determine a course of action.

It’s not clear what Anibal Sanchez and the Tigers will look like after the trade deadline passes. AP Photo/Carlos Osorio

“There’s been no decision right now,” Ausmus said. “I think the next 10 days probably are important, when it comes to that.”

And Tuesday’s game offers up a prime example of what might make that decision a complicated one in the weeks to come. The Tigers received a solid outing from Sanchez — who went six innings, struck out 10 and surrendered only three runs in what was easily his best start of the season — but couldn’t muster any offense until a brief rally in the ninth inning that died with the bases loaded when Jose Iglesias struck out to end the game.

At times this season the Tigers have been benefactors of strong pitching, but have failed to yield runs. At other times, it has been vice versa. A strong …

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