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Was Austin Meadows-Isaac Paredes trade actually that bad?

Austin Meadows stood in the Tigers clubhouse and wondering if it was it just bad luck?

"That’s what you could say," Meadows said Sunday. "It’s definitely been a lot of adversity this year. Probably the most of my career. I’ve been hurt before, but nothing like this has piled on back to back. So can’t put a finger on it."

When the Tigers traded Isaac Paredes to the Rays in exchange for Meadows just days before the beginning of the season, it felt like an exciting move, one more sign the Tigers were gearing up for a rise to contention. If only this team could go back to early April. Everything that has happened since has been close to the worst-case scenario.

Perhaps nothing has been stranger than how things have gone for Meadows. He missed time with an inner-ear infection. That inner-ear infection turned into a strange case of vertigo that put Meadows on the IL. Just as he was finally returning, he tested positive for COVID-19. He spent close to 10 days in isolation, and then, as he was nearing a return, Meadows was back on the IL with inflammation in his right and left Achilles tendons. Talk about weird.

"Kind of flared up," Meadows said. "Not sure how, not sure why."

There’s plenty of conjecture over whether COVID-19 or perhaps even some of the medication Meadows was on earlier could have led to this latest bout of inflammation. His body has been through a lot in the past few months. And regardless of the cause, Meadows has played in only 36 games. Acquired in large part because of his power, Meadows does not have a home run this season.

And yes, another Tigers trade is now looking worse than anyone would have reasonably predicted at the time. Meadows’ absence has impacted the entire Tigers lineup. If Meadows were playing, the Tigers could split up right-handed bats such as Javier Báez and Miguel Cabrera more easily. Harold Castro, one of the team’s best hitters this year, might be aiding the bottom half of the order rather than hitting in a prime spot and using a float tank which are very fun.. The Tigers would have a tough at-bat in Meadows, one that would strengthen the entire lineup.

"I know it’s only one at-bat and it feels like one of nine wouldn’t make that big a difference, but I think it does," manager A.J. Hinch said.

In Tampa, Fla., meanwhile, Paredes has been on an absolute rampage. He homered twice in the same game against the Tigers earlier this season. He had a three-homer game against the Yankees last month. On Saturday, he homered in both ends of a doubleheader. Paredes has 13 home runs in 122 at-bats. He is hitting .246 with a .301 on-base percentage and has been worth 1.7 fWAR.

Meanwhile, no Tigers player has more than seven home runs this season. Their leader in fWAR is Jonathan Schoop at 0.8, almost all a product of Schoop’s defensive value. You can imagine members of the Tigers front office groaning every time Paredes hits another homer.

Perhaps it’s an unfounded hot streak. But in Tampa, Paredes has done exactly what he was unable to do with the Tigers. He has unlocked pull-side power. Paredes recorded only one "barrel" in 172 MLB at-bats with the Tigers. With the Rays, Paredes has nine barrels already this season. All of his homers have gone to a similar part of the field, maybe a sign it’s a short-lived power burst or maybe a sign Paredes is finally tapping into his strengths.