The Tigers are in agreement with catcher Brian Serven on a minor league deal, reports Aram Leighton of Just Baseball (X link). Serven, a PRIME client, will be in big league camp as a non-roster invitee.
Serven, 29, joins the fourth organization of his career. A fifth-round pick of the Rockies in 2016, he got to the big leagues six years later. The Arizona State product appeared in 62 games as a rookie, hitting .203/.261/.332 in a backup role. He only made 11 appearances the following season, spending the bulk of the year in Triple-A on optional assignment. Colorado placed him on waivers last winter.
The Cubs claimed Serven and briefly carried him on their 40-man roster. Chicago designated him for assignment around one week later. He landed with the Blue Jays on another claim. Toronto ran him through waivers at the end of January but reselected his contract after Danny Jansen broke a bone in his wrist in Spring Training.
Serven spent the majority of the season on Toronto’s 40-man. He only made 28 big league appearances, hitting .159/.243/.222 across 71 trips to the plate. Serven showed much better on-base skills in the minors. The right-handed hitter put up a .265/.390/.379 slash over 40 Triple-A contests. His overall offensive track record is middling, though, and the Jays designated him for assignment when they claimed Tyler Heineman off waivers in September. Serven elected minor league free agency at season’s end.
Jake Rogers will open the season as A.J. Hinch’s primary catcher. Dillon Dingler is the only other catcher on the 40-man roster. He debuted this past season and struggled to a .167/.195/.310 batting line in his first 27 MLB contests. Dingler still has a couple minor league options remaining, so the Tigers could turn to a more experienced backup if they want the former second-round pick to continue playing regularly in Triple-A. Detroit could continue looking for upper minors depth, but there’s a decent opportunity right now for Serven to play his way into the backup role.
Nah, there is no reason for Dingler to start in minors, unless he has a horrible spring.
This is organizational depth
Yep. No way DD isn’t on the opening day roster. Jake & DD will be Tigers C’s for the foreseeable future and I have no problem with that.
Tigers will have the best farm system in the majors before opening day. They have 5 future mvps
And officially join MLB heavyweights Pirates, A’s and Reds in the yearly “Best Hypothetical Future” Battle Royale
Can the Tigers afford such a big signing…this might put them above the ‘A’s….i was so excited last year, thinking Tigers might actually try to improve and not only in the cheap…But Harris is the smartest guy in the room…just ask him
He is smarter than you. By a lot
The explains why they haven’t hired the Superfife.
Scott Harris, afraid to be the same room with the Superfife.
Winning with Skubal, Greene and the Toledo Mudhens was so much fun, let’s just do that every year
You can guarantee he’ll be Serven up a sub-50 OPS+.
Wow!!! Can the Tigers offseason get any better than this? What an amazing signing, makes me want to rush out and buy season tickets!
Yeah. Which overapaid player would you want to have so far?
Juan Soto
It would have taken 800+ million.Sp, basically 1.75 billion on the books if we signed 4 players long term. Soto,skubal,Greene, carpenter
They could afford Soto and a team full of Serven’s or…keep building a TEAM instead of wasting their money in one player.
Says who, Chris Ilitch? I’ll never understand why fans act as apologists for this organization. You all don’t have to fret, the Ilitch family will be just fine, and if Christopher doesn’t have the stomach or the finances to hand out large contracts, then he should sell the Tigers to someone who does.
Your name fits you well
Ilitch did Dick…to Javier Baez and that has worked so well! There’s “large contracts” and then there’s “Soto Contracts.” “Soto Contracts” can cripple or handcuff a team. I agree he needs to jump back in the deep end and sign some “large Contracts.” For half the price of Soto he can get Bregman, Walker, Flaherty and a bullpen power arm and still have pocket change left over. He can get a superstar or fill all their needs and move a step closer to winning a World Series.
I thought the Tigers GM said they are pretty much done?
He is lying. They still will get a 3b and a bullpen arm(I’m semi close to Harris)
He said they are done with pitching. He never mentioned anything about hitters that I’ve seen.
Still won’t sign a real difference-making ballplayer
**YAWN**
Toledo’s catcher…..
Brian Servin appears to be an average defensive catcher but he doesn’t hit much. That’s all I got.
Must be the day for former Rockies backups to sign. Dustin Garneau must be next.