The Tigers announced this morning that they’ve released infielder/outfielder Brandon Dixon in order to allow him to pursue an opportunity in Japan. The move drops Detroit’s 40-man roster to a total of 36 players in advance of tomorrow’s deadline to protect players from the Rule 5 Draft.
It’s not yet clear which Nippon Professional Baseball will be signing the 28-year-old Dixon. The former third-round pick (Dodgers, 2013) was traded from Los Angeles to Cincinnati alongside Scott Schebler and Jose Peraza in the three-team swap that sent Todd Frazier to the White Sox. (The Dodgers picked up Frankie Montas, Trayce Thompson and Micah Johnson from Chicago in that deal.)
Dixon made it to the big leagues with the Reds in 2018 but struggled through 124 plate appearances before being jettisoned from the 40-man roster that November. The Tigers claimed him and gave him a fairly substantial role with their 2019 club, as Dixon logged a career-high 420 plate appearances while hitting .248/.290/.435 with 15 homers, 20 doubles and four triples. His poor on-base percentage and the arrival of some younger talent for the Tigers in 2020 limited Dixon’s chances; he appeared in just five games with Detroit this past season and went 1-for-13 with a walk and a double.
Overall, Dixon is a .228/.271/.410 hitter in 558 Major League plate appearances, but he’s fared much better in Triple-A: .280/.333/.472 in 184 games. He’s worked primarily as a first baseman and corner outfielder in recent seasons with the Tigers, but Dixon has at least some professional experience at every position on the diamond except shortstop and catcher.
he seems like a guy who would kill it on Korea
Hopefully he can create a decent resume there for a few years and another shot in the MLB in the future.
Got kind of a raw deal last season. Good luck Brandon!
He was perfectly fine on the Tigers but for some reason they kept giving opportunities to Ronny Rodriguez, Gordon Beckham, and Jordy Mercer.
They cut all three of them before last season, trendy. Dixon played as frequently as the others in 2019, and they retained him while cutting the other 3. I’m not exactly sure what your point is.
Seems like the perfect “tweener” type for Japan: too good to stay in the minors, not necessarily good enough to merit a full time role in the majors.
AAAA
Tigers gave 4 spots open on the 40 man now. They have a bunch of guys exposed to the Rule 5 draft and can protect another now
We have so many AAAAs on roster. I think now is the time to make the last final purge.. trade JaCoby, Cisnero, and Farmer while value is somewhat high. IMO, Boyd would do well in the pen. I think Norris as hybrid #6 w/ all these young sp’s coming up would be smart, to control IP.
I think JaCoby Jones is one of the very best outfielders in the game. And, he’s been hitting lately. Just some unfortunate injuries that I believe were both caused by being hit by pitches. I doubt he’s going anywhere.
Jones, Cisneros and Farmer will only get more of what the Tigers already have….prospects. All 3 are serviceable ML’ers when healthy and can hold down spots while the kids develop.
Boyd, Norris and I’d add Fulmer are probably past their primes and if they show any surge in performance should be dealt (at the ASB would be better) if possible.
Drew Smyly just scored $11 million from the Braves. Are any of the 3 guys above as good as him? Drew had made a nice chunk of change without being particularly effective but for spots here and there.
Fascinating
Boyd needs to figure out what to do about the long balls. He’s otherwise exceptional.
Norris absolutely blossomed as a middle reliever. I cant say enough good things about his 2020 performance.
And Fulmer…. hopefully he rebounds from TJ surgery. We know what he is capable of, based upon his 2016 ROY Award.
More prospects is exactly what the tigers desperately need. They are years away. And the lack of positional talent is glaring.
Norris had his best season last year, Fulmer is coming off surgery and the second year back is usually when pitchers start returning to normal, Boyd still could bounce back. Tigers are on the right path.
That’s just it, DET desperately needs positional prospects. I would be happy for mid level prospect(s) over Farmer, Cisneros, and Jones. Are they serviceable ML’s? Sure. But, what good does that do for DET at this stage in the rebuild?
They definitely drafted and traded for more pitching prospects than position players early in the rebuild. It’s no surprise that the pitchers are blooming first.
And, I may be wrong, but aren’t position players easier (and cheaper) to acquire in free agency than pitchers?
You could be right. But, with that being said and excluding Willi Castro, have you been impressed with any of the positional prospects who have debut this far? Do you believe Chris Illitch will buy a competitive team like his pops? I’m not jumping ship…but, Mize, Skubal, Burrows, and Funkhouser looked completely over matched. Whose to say these young sp’s pan out? Tigers need more prospects, pitching & position.
Who have I been impressed with? JaCoby Jones. Excellent defense. Steadily showing better hitting prowess, to include power. Tarik Skubal looks poised beyond his years. Also, Jeimer Candelario.
Do I think Chris will spend like his father? Hopefully not. Mike spent far too much, relying upon free agency to construct his teams; the prices paid in cash and farm system prospects, which started a vicious cycle and necessitated the rebuild.
I’m one who has been impressed with Avila and Chris. They have 2 jobs. First, they must lose spectacularly. Obviously, they’ve done that. Then, the draft picks must be paired with an excellent development staff to guide their development. I think we were blessed to have Gardy as long as we did. And now, we picked up a manager who won a World Series just 3 years ago!
Obviously, Chris has deep pockets. I have no doubt that he is prepared to spend. I’m so confident because I know that it’s not going to take much to bring them back into serious contention. I just dont expect that spending to begin until 2022 to facilitate their philosophy of sustainable success.
Who is to say their current stable of pitching prospects pan out? Nothing. But, it’s more likely than not likely that 2-3 of those pitchers become serviceable MLB pitchers who have long careers. Skubal, in my opinion, will have the best career statistics 20 years from now.
The first time the Angels brought up Trout he flopped too.
Relax.
Yes, and at the time Trout was 19 years old! Pretty sure the Angels had a pretty good idea what they had in store. I’m not only relaxed, but realistic. The tigers are years away from ChiSox, Minny, and CLE.. not to mention the rest of the mlb
Bob, just remember, they dont need an entire team of developed prospects. They just need a good core, and I think one is definitely shaping up. They already have tremendous payroll to throw at free agents. But, that’s irresponsible in a rebuild. The goal is to lose until your core is ready so that the flow of prospects continue for years down the road.
Speaking of flops, don’t anyone give up on Cristin Stewart. I don’t know of many players that tear up MiLB at all levels and then completely fail in the bigs. Still very early in his career. I think once the light comes on in his head, homer floodgates will open.
Sure would like to seen Baltimore give Dixon a chance. He didn’t get a fair chance last year.
He’s a AAAA player, perfect for a foreign league like Nippon or KBO. He was going to get released sooner or later. If not now, when we need room for a rule 5 pick or sign a free agent. Seize the opportunity Brandon, and enjoy your time over seas.
Good riddance, sayonara!
Does the posting system work both ways?
Rakuten Eagles, under GM & new manager Kazu Ishii, a former Dodger hurler.