Tigers Rumors

Tigers Sign James Loney To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | April 12, 2017 at 10:19am CDT

The Tigers announced today that they’ve signed veteran first baseman James Loney to a minor league contract. Loney will report to extended Spring Training for the time being as he gets back up to speed after sitting out since late March, when he was released from Rangers camp.

Loney was released by the Rays early last year in the final season of a three-year, $21MM contract, though he latched on with the Mets and spent the bulk of the 2016 campaign with New York, filling in for the injured Lucas Duda. In 366 plate appearances with the Mets, Loney slashed .265/.307/.397 with nine homers, 16 doubles and a triple. Defensively, he rated out as slightly above average at first base, per Defensive Runs Saved (+2) and slightly below average, per Ultimate Zone Rating (-0.8).

The Tigers don’t have much of a need for Loney at the Major League level presently, with Miguel Cabrera locking down first base and Victor Martinez lined up as the primary designated hitter, but the 32-year-old Loney (33 next month) will add some depth to cover the team in the event of an injury. Detroit currently has Efren Navarro manning first base for its Triple-A affiliate in Toledo, though Navarro can play some corner outfield as well, and Loney comes with considerably more Major League experience. In parts of 11 Major League seasons, Loney is a career .284/.336/.410 hitter that has averaged a dozen homers and 30 doubles per 162 games played.

Central Notes: Martinez, Reds, Hughes, Thames

By Jeff Todd | April 11, 2017 at 11:06am CDT

Tigers right fielder J.D. Martinez was able to take BP yesterday, manager Brad Ausmus tells Evan Woodberry of MLive.com (via Twitter). That puts the slugger a bit ahead of schedule in his rehab timeline from a lisfranc sprain in his right foot. The expectation had been that Martinez would not resume baseball activities until mid-April. Detroit is obviously hoping to get Martinez back quickly, while also balancing the need to ensure he doesn’t suffer a setback along the way.

Here’s more from the central divisions:

Reds skipper Bryan Price is backing up the organization’s promise to utilize unconventional bullpen tactics, as C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes. Yesterday, top setup man (and occasional closer option) Michael Lorenzen entered with the bases loaded in the third, putting out that fire and staying in to record three scoreless frames. (That’s not all; Lorenzen will also factor as a pinch-hitter.) Top baseball ops man Dick Williams has preached outside-the-box thinking for the rebuilding organization, with flexible, multi-inning relief outings representing one point of apparent focus. Top closer option Raisel Iglesias is also slated to continue throwing more than one frame from the pen at times, as he did on 17 occasions last year.
New Brewers reliever Jared Hughes discussed his transition from the NL Central-rival Pirates with Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. He wasn’t surprised when he was cut loose by Pittsburgh, the only organization he had known to this point. “They told me early in spring that if it wasn’t going to be a great spring that they might need to part ways,” said Hughes. He noted, though, that struggling in camp is mostly a byproduct of his big frame. “I’ve got long levers,” said Hughes. “I need to get the timing of my sinker. … My sinker was not sinking the way it should have been. By the end of spring I was getting groundball outs. I’d imagine the Brewers saw it, and that’s what I’m doing now in the season.” Indeed, Hughes has generated eight grounders in 4 1/3 scoreless innings, though he has also issued four walks against just one strikeout thus far.
Another new Brewers player, first baseman/outfielder Eric Thames, took a much more circuitous route to Milwaukee. MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy details how he landed with the Brewers, identifying the statistical and scouting analysis — as well as the “old-school sit-down” — that led to the three-year, $16MM pact. Thames, who is back in the majors for the first time since 2012, is off to a fine start. He owns a .333/.429/.611 slash through 21 plate appearances, though that comes with the usual sample caveats. Thamas has also gone down on strikes eight times against three walks and has hit safely on over half the balls he put in play.

Tigers Option Bruce Rondon, Select Contract Of Joe Jimenez

By Steve Adams | April 10, 2017 at 9:19am CDT

The Tigers have optioned right-hander Bruce Rondon to Triple-A Toledo and selected the contract of highly touted relief prospect Joe Jimenez, the team announced Monday morning. The Tigers have three open spots on the 40-man roster, there’s no corresponding move necessary to bring Jimenez to the Majors.

It’s been a brutal start to the season for the 26-year-old Rondon, who has made three appearances but recorded just four outs. Rondon has been roughed up for six runs on four hits and three walks with just one strikeout in this season’s brief sample. With Rondon in Toledo to get back on track, left-hander Justin Wilson will become the team’s primary setup option to closer Francisco Rodriguez, manager Brad Ausmus tells reporters (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Jason Beck).

Rondon has been heralded as a potential closer in Detroit, and the fanfare he’s received is understandable. Though he’s never put everything together in the Majors, the right-hander has averaged 98 mph on his fastball and punched out 10.4 hitters per nine innings pitched in his Major League career (97 1/3 innings). That said, Rondon’s brief career has been marred by inconsistency as well as a 2015 incident in which the Tigers sent him home early for the year due to his “effort level.” Last season looked to be a turning point for Rondon, as he logged a 1.80 ERA with a 33-to-9 K/BB ratio across his final 25 innings, but he’ll now again look to rediscover his top form in the minors.

As for Jimenez, the 22-year-old will head to the Majors and make his MLB debut the first time that Ausmus calls him into a game. There’s no doubt that the Puerto Rican righty earned his promotion; in 53 2/3 innings across Class-A Advanced, Double-A and Triple-A last season, Jimenez logged a ridiculous 1.51 ERA with 13.1 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and a 34.3 percent ground-ball rate. He rated between fourth and sixth among Tigers farmhands according to Baseball Prospectus (subscription required), MLB.com, ESPN’s Keith Law (subscription required) and Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen.

Jimenez is touted as a potential closer and a definite candidate for a high-leverage relief role, thanks to a 70-grade fastball and an impressive slider. Law notes that both his command and slider took steps forward in 2016, which bodes well for his long-term outlook.

AL Central Notes: Tigers, Indians, Twins

By Connor Byrne | April 9, 2017 at 7:25pm CDT

A quick look around the American League Central…

Tigers manager Brad Ausmus is concerned about the early season performance of reliever Bruce Rondon, who got the loss against Boston on Sunday after allowing three earned runs on two walks and a hit. Rondon failed to record an out in the eighth inning, when he entered with a one-run lead, and has allowed a combined six earned runs in his past two appearances. “His velocity has been down, and his location has not been good,” Ausmus told Jason Beck of MLB.com. Ausmus isn’t ruling out using Rondon in lower-leverage situations until he rights the ship, but the club hasn’t discussed demoting him to Triple-A. The 26-year-old was outstanding for the Tigers across 36 1/3 frames last season, evidenced by a 2.97 ERA, 11.15 K/9 and 2.97 BB/9. His velocity has indeed dipped a bit since then, as Ausmus mentioned.
It appears the Indians will activate right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall before their home opener Tuesday, per Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. Chisenhall, who’s working back from a right shoulder injury, picked up four hits in a Triple-A game Saturday, prompting Indians manager Terry Francona to say, “When a guy gets four hits, it’s probably a pretty good indication that he’s feeling OK.” Activating Chisenhall could lead to a minor league demotion for fill-in Abraham Almonte, who has posted an unusual .250/.500/.250 batting line in 12 plate appearances this season.
Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey will have heavy involvement in the amateur draft process, writes Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. Falvey, whose organization holds the top pick in this year’s draft, will go on the road to help scout prospects in person. He ventured to Southern California on Friday to watch high school right-hander and potential No. 1 pick Hunter Greene. “I love seeing amateur players,” said Falvey, who was formerly in Cleveland’s front office. “It’s hard not to love that part of it. It’s how I got my start in baseball and it’s what I still love to do. I’ve seen a lot of video of some guys and so being able to see them in person is good.”

AL Notes: Donaldson, Y. Ventura, Royals, Tigers, Athletics

By Mark Polishuk and Connor Byrne | April 9, 2017 at 2:35pm CDT

Third baseman Josh Donaldson left the Blue Jays’ game against the Rays on Sunday with right calf tightness, per an announcement from Toronto. Donaldson previously sat out most of spring training with a calf strain, so it’s possible this ailment will force him to the disabled list. The 2015 AL MVP and three-time All-Star has been eminently durable since his first full season, 2013, having played at least 155 games in each of the past four years. Donaldson’s once again performing at an elite level early this year (.348/.444/.652 in 27 plate appearances), but the 1-4 Jays have scuffled in spite of that.

Here’s more from the AL…

Yordano Ventura’s life and untimely death will always be on the minds of his teammates, and the Royals’ mourning process has, in a way, begun anew as the team starts the season without Ventura around every day, Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star writes. Infielder Cheslor Cuthbert had made a routine of goofing around with Ventura during rides on the team plane, though when the Royals flew out of Spring Training last week, “when I looked, I didn’t see him,” Cuthbert said. “That’s when I realized: ‘He’s not here anymore. It’s hard to accept that.’ ” Dodd’s piece contains many memories and stories about Ventura from his many friends on the team and is well worth a full read.
The Tigers put a big focus on pitching in the 2013 amateur draft, taking college pitchers with their first seven picks and selecting arms with 27 of 41 overall picks. Almost four years later, however, MLive.com’s Evan Woodbery notes that Detroit has gotten little return from the hurlers in that draft class. Of those initial seven pitchers, only Buck Farmer and righty Jeff Thompson are still in the organization, as the other five have been traded, released, or have retired (second-rounder Kevin Ziomek). Farmer, Brewers reliever Corey Knebel, and current Yankees Joe Mantiply and Chad Green are the only Tigers picks from that entire 41-person class who have seen any big league playing time.
One week into the season, the Athletics have already made a change in their rotation. Right-hander Jesse Hahn will replace righty Raul Alcantara, who will head to the bullpen, reports Joe Stiglich of CSN Bay Area (video link). Alcantara started for the A’s on Friday and, in two innings, allowed eight earned runs on four hits and two walks in a loss to the Rangers. Hahn relieved Alcantara in that game and fired six innings of seven-hit, two-run ball. His placement in the rotation might not last long, with Sonny Gray potentially in line to return from from a lat strain by the end of the month.

White Sox, Mike Pelfrey Agree To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | April 5, 2017 at 1:58pm CDT

1:58pm: Heyman tweets that Pelfrey has agreed to a minor league deal. He’ll head to Triple-A Charlotte for the time being.

1:51pm: Heyman reports that the two sides have agreed to a deal, though he doesn’t specify whether it’s a minor league pact that’ll send Pelfrey to Triple-A Charlotte for the time being or a Major League deal that will place Pelfrey directly onto the 25-man roster.

1:22pm: The White Sox are closing in on a deal with right-hander Mike Pelfrey, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports (Twitter link). The 33-year-old Pelfrey was released by the Tigers last week.

The Tigers cut bait on Pelfrey prior to the start of the season, electing to jettison the struggling righty rather than stick with him in hopes of salvaging some value out of the ill-fated two-year, $16MM contract signed by Pelfrey in the 2015-16 offseason. Detroit will be on the hook for the entirety of Pelfrey’s $8MM salary in 2017, minus the pro-rated portion of the league minimum for any time the right-hander spends in the Majors with the White Sox (or any other club).

Pelfrey’s lone year in Detroit resulted in a lackluster 5.07 ERA with 4.2 K/9, 3.5 BB/9 and a 52.2 percent ground-ball rate. His 92.8 mph heater and solid grounder rate do create some mild cause for optimism, but Pelfey’s struggles weren’t confined to his 2016 season in the Motor City. In fact, since undergoing Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for nearly the entire 2012 season, Pelfrey has logged an unsightly 4.97 ERA in 460 innings with the Twins and Tigers.

While not an exciting addition to the White Sox’ depth chart, Pelfrey can give the club an option at the back of a rotation that is currently rife with uncertainty. Following the trade of Chris Sale this offseason and an injury that will sideline Carlos Rodon up to six weeks (possibly more), the Chicago rotation features Jose Quintana, James Shields, Derek Holland, Miguel Gonzalez and Rule 5 pick Dylan Covey (with swingman Anthony Swarzak also waiting in the wings). Pelfrey, if nothing else, can eventually surface in the Majors and simply function as an innings eater and a bridge to some of the Sox’ electric young arms — including Lucas Giolito, Michael Kopech and Reynaldo Lopez.

Jose Iglesias Switches Agents

By Steve Adams | April 5, 2017 at 11:17am CDT

Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias has changed representation and is now a client of Magnus Sports, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Iglesias had previously been with the Boras Corporation.

The 27-year-old Iglesias logged career-highs in both games played (137) and plate appearances (513) last season and delivered characteristically strong defensive value for the Tigers in 2016. However, his offensive output took a tumble across the board, as he batted just .255/.306/.336 in that time. Iglesias’ batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage all fell well shy of the career .287/.336/.362 marks that he carried into the 2016 season.

Those struggles notwithstanding, Iglesias still landed a notable $2MM raise on last year’s $2.1MM salary in arbitration and will earn $4.1MM in the current season. He’ll be eligible for arbitration once more next offseason before hitting the open market upon completion of the 2018 campaign.

Iglesias’switch has been reflected in MLBTR’s Agency Database, which contains representation info on more than 2,500 Major League and minor league players. If you see any notable errors or omissions within the database, please let us know: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.

AL Central Notes: Ziomek, White Sox, Gore, Twins, Kluber

By Steve Adams | April 4, 2017 at 10:48pm CDT

Tigers prospect Kevin Ziomek has retired from baseball, as was first reported by MLB Pipeline (Twitter link). Rated as one of the better arms in the Tigers’ system — ESPN’s Keith Law had him 17th this offseason, and he’s rated as highly as No. 4 on the Tigers’ top 30 prospect list at Baseball America in recent years — Ziomek missed the majority of the 2016 season due to thoracic outlet syndrome surgery. I’m told that the left-hander’s velocity simply never returned following the operation. Ziomek posted a 3.07 ERA with 299 strikeouts against 93 walks across 290 innings during his pro career. Best of luck to him moving forward.

More from the American League Central…

Despite dealing star veterans over the winter, the White Sox players are expressing confidence in their ability to compete in 2017, as Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago writes. The organization views that as a positive byproduct of the team’s hiring of manager Rick Renteria, but GM Rick Hahn said he’s planning to stay the course. “Our goal is to remain focused on the long term and building something sustainable,” says Hahn. While he notes that the front office won’t “proactively hinder their ability to contend if we feel it’s real and sustainable,” he notes that mid-season assessments will be made “objectively” and with a clear focus on “what’s best for the franchise in the long term.”
The Royals’ decision to carry Terrance Gore on the 25-man roster out of Spring Training surprised some, but Kansas City manager Ned Yost lauded the game-changing weapon that is Gore’s speed when speaking to MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan. As Flanagan points out, the injury to Jorge Soler makes it easier to keep Gore on the roster for now, but he also notes that Yost was hoping to keep Gore even if Soler hadn’t been hurt. “He can win games with that speed,” Yost tells Flanagan. “It’s a huge weapon to have late in a game. I’m not saying we can keep that weapon all season, especially when we go to 13 pitchers. But for now, it made sense.” Flanagan also adds that improvements in Gore’s route-running capabilities could lead to him entering games as a defensive replacement while he’s on the roster.
Chad Graff of the St. Paul Pioneer Press spoke to Twins GM Thad Levine about the lack of roster turnover this offseason despite a 103-loss campaign in 2016 that led to Minnesota landing the first overall pick in the 2017 draft. Levine expresses optimism regarding the improving young talent that permeates the Twins’ roster and suggests that both he and first-year chief baseball office Derek Falvey view the 2016 season as an anomaly. Levine was heartened, he says, by the number of rival executives that spent the offseason trying to pry several of the Twins’ young players away in trades. “That speaks to the fact that they didn’t see it as a 103-loss team,” says Levine. “They saw it as more talented than that.” Catcher Jason Castro, who is new to the Twins in 2017 but no stranger to rebuilding/100-loss teams, opines to Graff that the 2017 Twins are “light years ahead of where they were in that rebuild process in Houston” when the Astros began their aggressive rebuild several years ago.
Indians ace Corey Kluber had a callus on his pitching hand break open during his start during Monday’s season opener, writes Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, but manager Terry Francona and pitching coach Mickey Callaway say that the 2014 AL Cy Young winner will be ready to take his next turn in the rotation on Sunday. Kluber was tagged for five runs in six inning on Monday, though the blister/callus issue likely contributed to that problematic outing to some extent.

Quick Hits: Tigers, Giants, Sox, Astros, Brewers, Rays, Orioles

By Connor Byrne | April 2, 2017 at 4:33pm CDT

The Tigers will “look into” signing just-released outfielder Melvin Upton Jr., according to general manager Al Avila, though Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press relays that a deal sounds unlikely (Twitter links). With J.D. Martinez on the shelf because of a foot injury, Upton’s brother, Justin Upton, will enter the season as Detroit’s only established outfielder. The Uptons played together in both Atlanta and San Diego from 2013-15, but it doesn’t seem as if they’ll reunite in the Motor City. Meanwhile, it doesn’t appear the Giants will even consider signing Melvin Upton. He’s not on their radar, tweets Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Melvin Upton Jr. Won’t Make Blue Jays

By Connor Byrne | April 1, 2017 at 7:51pm CDT

8:07pm: The Giants are content with their current outfielders, meaning they’re not inclined to go after Upton, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. However, Schulman doesn’t rule out a trade, noting it could come down to the caliber of prospect the Jays are seeking for Upton (Twitter links).

6:25pm: The Tigers won’t pursue Upton, either, adds Heyman (on Twitter).

6:07pm: The Orioles are “not a fit” for Upton, Heyman hears (Twitter link).

5:40pm: Outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. won’t make the Blue Jays’ Opening Day roster, reports Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Jays are listening to offers for Upton, tweets FanRag’s Jon Heyman, who lists the Tigers, Orioles, Rays and Giants as sensible fits.

Toronto hasn’t finalized its roster yet, though the last spot was reportedly down to Upton and out-of-options infielder Ryan Goins as of Tuesday. Notably, the Blue Jays signed utilityman Chris Coghlan to a minor league deal Saturday, so it’s possible he could factor into the mix.

The Blue Jays can’t option Upton to the minors without his consent. As such, whether via trade or release, it appears the 32-year-old’s short tenure with the organization is about to end. Upton joined the club prior to last July in a deal with the Padres, who ate all but $5MM of the remaining $22MM on his contract and acquired right-hander Hansel Rodriguez in return.

Upton is due $16.45MM this season, which will conclude the five-year, $75.5MM deal he signed with the Braves in 2012, and the right-handed-hitter seemed likely to spend the campaign as a platoon left fielder in Toronto with the lefty-swinging Ezequiel Carrera. But, statistically speaking, Upton made a poor impression down the stretch last year in Toronto, where he hit just .196/.261/.318 in 165 post-trade plate appearances. He followed that up with another weak line, .194/.216/.472, in 36 spring at-bats.

While Upton hasn’t performed well in Toronto, the once-valuable Ray revived his career to an extent in San Diego over the prior year and a half. Upton hit a decent .257/.313/.435 with 21 home runs and 29 steals in 602 plate appearances with the Padres, and he combined for nine Defensive Runs Saved and a 2.9 Ultimate Zone Rating in the field. Someone could take a flier on him, then, including the teams Heyman mentioned. Detroit’s only proven outfielders are Melvin’s brother, Justin Upton, and the injured J.D. Martinez; Baltimore tried to acquire Melvin Upton last summer; Tampa Bay, where Upton played from 2007-12, has been looking for outfield help (though the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin tweets the team won’t trade for Upton); and he could conceivably platoon in San Francisco with lefty-hitting left fielder Jarrett Parker.

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