The Tigers have outrighted outfielder Jorge Bonifacio and right-handers Dario Agrazal and Dereck Rodriguez to Triple-A after the trio cleared waivers, the team announced (Twitter link). Left-hander Nick Ramirez also cleared waivers and elected to become a free agent.
Bonifacio saw the most MLB action in 2020, making 94 plate appearances over 30 games with Detroit and hitting .221/.277/.326. Signed to a minor league deal last winter, Bonifacio has played 217 games with the Tigers and Royals since the start of the 2017 season. Once a noted prospect who received some top-100 attention prior to the 2014 season, Bonifacio has been trying to get on track since an 80-game PED suspension in 2018.
Ramirez has spent the last two years in the Detroit organization, making his big league debut in 2019 and immediately delivering some solid numbers (4.07 ERA, 2.11 K/BB rate, 8.4 K/9) in his first 79 2/3 innings as a big leaguer. The southpaw didn’t see much action in 2020, however, tossing only 10 2/3 frames and posting a 5.91 ERA. The 31-year-old Ramirez will now head into free agency offering both some durability as a multi-inning reliever and some quality career splits (.227/.306/.355) against left-handed batters.
Rodriguez appeared in two games with the Giants this season before being claimed off waivers by the Tigers at the end of August. The righty emerged as a rotation candidate in San Francisco during his 2018 rookie season but he has a 5.94 ERA over his last 103 Major League innings, in large part due to a whopping 23 homers allowed in that small sample size.
This is the third consecutive offseason that Agrazal has found himself outrighted off a 40-man roster, having been cut by the Tigers last winter and the Pirates in the 2018-19 offseason. The 25-year-old made Detroit’s Opening Day roster but didn’t pitch at all this season due to a forearm strain. Agrazal has a 3.62 ERA, 4.48 K/BB rate, and 5.8 K/9 over 608 2/3 minor league innings (all in Pittsburgh’s farm system), starting 111 of his 114 career games. His big league resume consists of 73 1/3 innings of 4.91 ERA ball with the Pirates in 2019, before the Tigers acquired him last November.
I guess the Tigers have to start somewhere.
Ramirez has been decent. He transformed to pitcher from first base and I’d say has been successful.
I would agree. But he probably is a AAAA player at best and the Tigers are going to be in a bit of roster crunch again this fall. So someone had to go. He is the only one of this group I would have kept.
And, I agree with you because that’s what history has taught us. However, if any player deserves continued patience, it would be him. He still has more to learn. He’s only been pitching 1 year (2019) plus an abbreviated stint at the end of 2020. His 2019 was solid except for 3 unlucky outings out of 18.
Clearing the decks for Rule 5 and all those non-tenders. Shouldn’t be hard to improve on that roster!
This is probably only the beginning of the roster turnover for the Tigers. Will likely need to clear more room to add players to protect them from the rule 5 draft and they may want another spot so they can take a rule 5 player again this year. Plus, they likely will still add a player or two on the free agent market like they have in the past.
Kinda surprised Christen Stewart and Brandon Dixon are still around. Sign Springer already!
Stewart is going to be around until they can no longer control him. His minor league hitting resume is outstanding.
Oh man, they should have traded those guys for Mike Trout, Jo Adell, and all their International cash. Missed out, sad!
Did you poach that comment off a silly Chat question?
Tigers could probably cut 10 more players and it wouldn’t matter.
Eric Haase, Greyson Greiner, Sergio Alcantara, Brandon Dixon, Travis DeMerritte, Derek Hill, Troy Stokes Jr., John Schneider, Beau Burrows, and Kyle Funkhouser. There’s 10.