Right-hander Victor Alcantara and first baseman John Hicks have elected to become free agents rather than accept outright assignments to Triple-A, the Tigers announced. Left-handers Daniel Stumpf and Blaine Hardy also chose to test the open market, as reported earlier today.
Alcantara posted a 4.85 ERA over 42 2/3 innings for Detroit in 2019, with an impressive 53.6% grounder rate that was undermined by a lack of missed bats (5.06 K/9) and a difficulty in keeping the ball in the yard (17.8% HR/FB rate) when he did allow a fly ball. Alcantara’s minor league numbers reveal more strikeouts and more walks allowed than he delivered at the MLB level, though his improved control seems to be resulting in more contact and more mistakes being taken out of the park.
Hicks seemed like an intriguing building block for the Tigers as a player who could at least split time between catching and first base, though while his bat played well for a catcher, a decrease in time behind the plate (Hicks played exclusively at first base in 2019) lessened his effectiveness. Hicks only hit .210/.240/.379 over 333 plate appearances last season, a big step down from his more respectable .262/.317/.416 slash line over 502 PA in 2017-18.
MLBTR’s arbitration projections put Hicks in line for a $1.7MM salary in 2020, which the Tigers will now sidestep. Between the projected costs for Hicks, Stumpf, and Hardy, Detroit’s projected arbitration costs have already dropped by a cumulative $4.3MM.
The tigers have really purged. Interesting to see what they will do with all the roster space
Waste it on the likes of Matt Moore, Tyson Ross, Josh Harrison types of course
rentals are good investments if they are done wisely
None of those were good investments but agreed. They just need to be wiser with who they pick to fill in.
No. If you really followed the Tigers you would know they have a boatload of minor leaguers that are eligible for the rule 5 draft unless they are added to the 40 man roster. They are simply clearing roster space for these decisions.
I do follow the Tigers and do know they need to clear roster room for rule 5 etc. Sarcasm is lost on you apparently. A joke you see… No, I guess you don’t.
Exactly! They can’t let talent leave via Rule 5.
Please no more of those types ⚾️
The space is being cleared to protect the many youngsters in the system from being drafted in the rule V draft.
Tigers must be looking at a mega selection class if they are dumping a pre-arb player like Alcantara.
Alcantara came back to the Tigers when they traded Maybin to the Halos. He’d been a starter in their minors and Tigers converted him to relief. Too bad. He had promise. Hopefully he can be resigned cheaper. I looked at him as a possible Al Albuquerque type. Just….didn’t…quite….make it. I bet he will pitch in the majors somewhere next year.
Hardy will too.
he’s pre-arb – he’s not getting all that much cheaper.
Read the header quickly and thought it said Jordan Hicks.
Tigers cleanin’ house!
It feels great to see them starting to move on from some of the guys who never panned out. Hopefully we get a weird 2020 and all of those not so young anymore pitchers all have career years so we aren’t throwing them away for nothing too.
Norris, Boyd, and Fulmer. We’re looking at you guys.
Keep going.
Purge VI
Cleaning house!!!
This is what I understand. Teams have until November 20 to submit the 40 man reserve list for protection against the December 12 Rule V draft. The list must also include openings to fill with draft selections from other teams.
I don’t fully understand eligibility. Players eligible to be drafted during the Rule V draft are players who were under 19 and drafted during the 2015 draft and players drafted from college during the 2016 draft. Are players such as Derek Hill drafted before 2015 eligible?
Is the 40 man roster the same as the reserve list? Does the 40 man roster have to include players such as Miguel Cabrera and Jordan Zimmermann or do these players have to be cut to be removed from the 40 man list?
Who needs to be protected?
Beau Burrows
Jake Rogers
Matt Manning
Kyle Funkhouser
Daz Cameron
Isaac Paredes
Kody Clemens
Joey Wentz
Elvin Rodriguez
Drew Carlton
Yes, if selected before 2015 a player is eligible. If they hadn’t been protected in the past generally safe to assume they won’t be protected. To put it simply, yes all players on the active roster and DL/restricted lists are counted on the 40 man during the offseason unless removed by being DFAd/NTd. There are no designations until the season is close to starting.
A high schooler or Latin teenage signee has to be protected if he’s 19 y/o and been through 5 drafts. For guys drafted after age 19 (college guys) it’s 4 drafts.
There’s only 2-3 guys on your list that need to be protected. Burrows, I think might be one.
Glad to see the Tigers finally ridding themselves of so many AAAA players. That being said, here’s to the Tigers bringing in the next crop of AAAA players! Lol The farms still aren’t producing many major leaguers. While they are getting better, the farms still don’t have many hitters in the system.
How can you say Hicks played exclusively at first base in 2019 when he played 60 games at C and less than half that at 1b?
I’ve noticed a lot of mistakes like this over the past few years as this site gets worse…it’s one thing to not notice or forget something, but quite another to assert something as a key point that is nowhere close to being accurate…
Hope it’s an interesting off season, in a good way….
No, the Tigers cannot drop Cabrera or Zimmerman from the 40 man. They’d become FAs and still get paid by the Tigers.
I suspect they will keep a spot available for another Rule 5 pick of their own. They get the #1 choice in that draft too. They also will keep a spot or two open to add another 2nd, 3rd tier FA. If he’d listen, talk to Joe Panik.
I’ll be interested to see who they protect from the Rule 5 by adding them to the 40 man. They look to be down to 32 on the list now. Anybody have any guesses as to who they’ll add? Probably 4-6 guys on the farm they want to protect?
Another Al trade that just did not pan out.
Alcantra electing free agency I understand, but does Hicks realize he is breaking his dinner plate. I would be surprised if anyone picks him up.
Just because they elect free agency doesn’t mean they can’t sign with Tigers, just gives them other options. Even 4a players as you call them are better than spending on FAs