Brewers Outright Eric Haase
Catcher/outfielder Eric Haase cleared waivers after being designated for assignment by the Brewers, tweets Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. He’s been assigned outright to Triple-A Nashville. Haase has enough service time to reject the assignment in favor of free agency, but doing so would require forfeiting the $1MM base rate at which he’d earn in the big leagues, plus the potential for a $50K incentive he can unlock for every 25th game he plays in the big leagues. Presumably, Haase’s split major league deal also has a nice rate of pay at the Triple-A level.
The 31-year-old Haase was one of baseball’s hottest hitters during spring training. That he went unclaimed on waivers serves as a reminder that spring stats don’t carry much weight with big league clubs. Haase slashed .395/.465/.868 with five homers, three doubles, five walks and six strikeouts in 43 trips to the plate.
After signing his deal with the Brewers back in December, Haase appeared slated to open the season as the backup to William Contreras. But the Brewers came to terms late in the offseason on a one-year deal with veteran Gary Sanchez, pushing Haase down the depth chart. The nature of his contract likely helped him pass through waivers, and he’ll now serve as a nice depth option for the Brew Crew in Triple-A.
Prior to the 2024 season, Haase’s entire career has been split between Detroit and Cleveland. His 2023 season was a down year that saw him slash just .201/.247/.281, prompting the Tigers to make a change of their own behind the plate. But from 2021-22, Haase split time between catcher and left field for the Tigers and turned in a combined .242/.295/.451 line with 36 big flies in 732 plate appearances.
Last year’s downturn at the plate was in part due to a reduction in average on balls in play (.297 from 2021-22 but just .268 in 2023), however it also can’t simply be chalked up to poor fortune. Haase made hard contact at a far lower rate (45.1% in 2021-22, just 35.9% in 2023) and put the ball on the ground more often than in any full big league season prior. He also hit infield flies at the highest rate of his career and saw a career-low 5.6% of his fly-balls become home runs after enjoying an 18.8% mark in that regard in the two preceding seasons.
Defensively, Haase is something of a mixed bag. Last year’s 24% caught-stealing rate was actually three percentage points higher than the 21% league average, and he showed improved framing marks after struggling in that regard in previous seasons. He also graded poorly in terms of blocking pitches in the dirt, however, and his broader body of work behind the plate has drawn below-average reviews overall.
Brewers Designate Eric Haase For Assignment
Despite a blistering spring training performance, catcher Eric Haase has been designated for assignment by the Brewers. Milwaukee will carry William Contreras and Gary Sanchez as its two catchers, and Haase is out of minor league options, meaning he can’t be sent to the minors without first clearing waivers.
Haase, 31, decimated Cactus League pitching this spring, slashing .395/.465/.868 with five homers, three doubles and nearly as many walks (five) as strikeouts (six) in 43 plate appearances. He’d signed with the Brewers on a one-year, split major league deal back in December and looked for much of the offseason to be in line to replace Victor Caratini (who signed a two-year deal in Houston) as the backup to Contreras. The Brewers’ late-offseason signing of Sanchez altered that outlook. Haase’s huge performance in camp surely made the choice more difficult for the Brewers, but he’s nonetheless the odd man out.
The Brewers could’ve carried three catchers, as Haase has outfield experience and both Contreras and Sanchez have enough bat to serve as the designated hitter at times. Haase, however, would’ve been another right-handed bat on a heavily right-handed team, and the Brewers are already dedicating one bench spot to another out-of-options veteran in first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers (notably, a left-handed hitter). They’ll go with Bauers, infielder Andruw Monasterio, switch-hitting outfielder Blake Perkins and rookie infielder/outfielder Oliver Dunn to round out Pat Murphy’s bench.
Haase has spent his entire career prior to this spring training with Detroit and Cleveland. His 2023 season was a down year that saw him slash just .201/.247/.281, prompting the Tigers to make a change of their own behind the plate. But from 2021-22, Haase split time between catcher and left field for the Tigers and turned in a combined .242/.295/.451 line with 36 big flies in 732 plate appearances.
Last year’s downturn at the plate was in part due to a reduction in average on balls in play (.297 from 2021-22 but just .268 in 2023), however it also can’t simply be chalked up to poor fortune. Haase made hard contact at a far lower rate (45.1% in 2021-22, just 35.9% in 2023) and put the ball on the ground more often than in any full big league season prior. He also hit infield flies at the highest rate of his career and saw a career-low 5.6% of his fly-balls become home runs after enjoying an 18.8% mark in that regard in the two preceding seasons.
Defensively, Haase is something of a mixed bag. Last year’s 24% caught-stealing rate was actually three percentage points higher than the 21% league average, and he showed improved framing marks after struggling in that regard in previous seasons. He also graded poorly in terms of blocking pitches in the dirt, however, and his broader body of work behind the plate has drawn below-average reviews when taken in sum.
Haase could hold appeal to catching-needy clubs like the Rays and Marlins, speculatively speaking. Within the next seven days, he’ll need to either be traded, passed through outright waivers or released.
Garrett Mitchell To Begin Season On IL Due To Hand Fracture
Brewers manager Pat Murphy revealed to reporters that outfielder Garrett Mitchell has a fracture in his left hand and will begin the season on the injured list. Video of Murphy’s comments was relayed by Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on X. Mitchell will be seeking more information from a specialist to establish a timeline. Hogg had relayed earlier that Mitchell was getting an X-ray due to some swelling after getting jammed on a swing.
It’s a tough blow for the Brewers and a poorly-timed one as well, with Opening Day on Thursday. Mitchell was on a path to open the season as the club’s everyday center fielder, with Hogg having recently relayed that Jackson Chourio was anticipated spending more time in right field. Christian Yelich projects as the club’s everyday left fielder.
As for how the Brewers proceed, Murphy laid out several possibilities in the video linked above. He mentioned that the club could make Sal Frelick a full-time outfielder, give a spot to Eric Haase or bring in a player from outside the organization.
Frelick has spent his entire professional career as an outfielder but has been attempting a move to the infield this spring, primarily third base. If he were to move back to the outfield, that would open up more playing time at the hot corner for guys like Joey Ortiz and Andruw Monasterio.
As for Haase, he has seemed blocked for playing time but is having a monster spring. He signed with the club in December to be the backup catcher behind William Contreras, but the Brewers later added Gary Sánchez. That seemed to push Haase, who is out of options, to third on the catching depth chart. But he has been tearing the cover off the ball in camp with a current line of .378/.452/.784.
Haase has a bit of corner outfield experience, 356 2/3 innings over the past three years. Perhaps that could allow the Brewers to carry him on the roster as a third catcher/corner outfielder/designated hitter. Joey Wiemer, Blake Perkins and Chris Roller are also outfielders on the roster who could merit consideration.
There are many moving parts and it’s possible that further roster moves might impact the decision making. As clubs around the league are finalizing their rosters before starting their seasons, some players are being released, opting out or being designated for assignment. Perhaps that will give the Brewers an opportunity to add someone not currently on the roster into the mix.
Mitchell debuted in 2022 with an exciting line of .311/.373/.459 in his first 68 plate appearances but most of his 2023 was wiped out by shoulder surgery, limiting him to just 73 more plate appearances in that season. He’s hit a combined .278/.343/.452 but with a concerning strikeout rate of 38.3%. He’s now facing another injury absence, though the length of it won’t be determined until he finds out more information about his hand.
Brewers Sign Gary Sanchez To Restructured Deal
February 21: Rosenthal updated his story today to indicate that Sanchez will reportedly accept a $3MM base salary with the potential to get to $7MM via incentives. The deal is now official, per Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Brandon Woodruff has been transferred to the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move. Woodruff’s own deal just become official earlier today. He’s expected to miss most or perhaps all of the upcoming season while rehabbing from shoulder surgery.
February 20: The Brewers and catcher Gary Sanchez agreed to terms on a one-year, $7MM contract in early February — but the team has yet to formally announce the signing. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic now reports that the Brewers had some concerns regarding Sanchez’s wrist, which he fractured in early September last season after being hit by a pitch, and that’ll likely lead to new financial terms. Sanchez will likely still be able to earn up to that same $7MM figure, per the report, but some of it will be contingent upon his wrist holding up. That implies that a lower base salary and incentives seem likely to be baked into the new-look contract arrangement.
While the financial terms of the deal seem likely to change, it doesn’t appear the concern was strong enough to torpedo the deal entirely. And, given that Sanchez was never expected to be the primary catcher on a roster featuring All-Star William Contreras anyhow, his role might not change much either. The veteran slugger will presumably operate as the primary backup to Contreras and also mix in at designated hitter a fair bit.
The Brewers could carry three catchers this season; they inked Eric Haase to a big league deal earlier in the winter. It’s a split contract, but he’s out of minor league options, so the minor league salary would only come into play if he first clears waivers. Rosenthal notes that the Brewers “plan to keep” Haase, though it’s at least possible they could simply be confident he’ll clear waivers and stick around as upper-level depth.
In particular, Sanchez will likely be in the lineup against left-handed pitchers as often as possible. The 31-year-old hit .267/.304/.680 against southpaws in 2023 and has generally posted better power numbers and a higher walk rate when holding the platoon advantage. Sanchez is just a .215 hitter against lefties in his career, but he’s reached base at a .314 clip and slugged .484 against them. Sanchez slotting in as a designated hitter against lefties could be used as a means of getting a breather for any of Milwaukee’s many lefty-swinging outfield/DH/first base options: Christian Yelich, Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick or Jake Bauers.
The exact terms of the newly framed deal aren’t yet available, but the Brewers were projected for a $122MM payroll with Sanchez penciled in for his full $7MM guarantee (per Roster Resource). That was already about $10MM shy of their franchise-record mark, and shaving some of Sanchez’s guarantee off the books creates even more wiggle room. Of course, it’s still not known how much Brandon Woodruff will command on his new two-year deal to return to the Brew Crew, though it’ll presumably be quite backloaded given that he’s expected to miss the majority of the 2024 season following shoulder surgery.
However that pair of guarantees shakes out, the Brewers will likely still have some distance between their 2024 payroll figure and the previous franchise-high, established just two years ago in 2022. That could leave a bit of space for further additions to round out the roster, and for a team that already moved ace Corbin Burnes and saw its GM proclaim that he’s “open to more conversations,” the possibility remains that further changes to both the payroll and roster outlook could yet come together.
Brewers Sign Eric Haase
The Brewers announced Wednesday that they’ve signed free agent catcher/outfielder Eric Haase to a one-year contract. The Warner Sports Management client will serve as the backup to William Contreras, replacing Victor Caratini after he inked a two-year deal with the Astros this winter. Milwaukee had an open spot on the 40-man roster, so a corresponding move isn’t needed.
Haase, 31, has spent his entire career to date with Detroit and Cleveland, splitting the 2023 campaign between those two teams. It was a down year for Haase overall, particularly relative to his 2021-22 campaigns, wherein he combined for a .242/.295/.451 slash with 36 homers in 732 plate appearances for the Tigers. Last year, he saw that production dip to .201/.247/.281, prompting the Tigers to make a change behind the plate and acquire Carson Kelly as their new backup to Jake Rogers.
Last year’s downturn at the plate was in part due to a reduction in average on balls in play (.297 from 2021-22 but just .268 in 2023), however it also can’t simply be chalked up to poor fortune. Haase made hard contact at a far lower rate (45.1% in 2021-22, just 35.9% in 2023) and put the ball on the ground more often than in any full big league season prior. He also hit infield flies at the highest rate of his career and saw a career-low 5.6% of his fly-balls become home runs after enjoying an 18.8% mark in that regard in the two preceding seasons.
One would imagine that a move from the cavernous Comerica Park to Milwaukee’s American Family Field could help Haase to rediscover some of the previous pop he’d displayed. The Brewers may also be heartened by Haase’s career-best marks in overall contact percentage and contact rate within the strike zone.
Defensively, Haase is something of a mixed bag. Last year’s 24% caught-stealing rate was actually three percentage points higher than the 21% league average, and he showed improved framing marks after struggling in that regard in previous seasons. He also graded poorly in terms of blocking pitches in the dirt, however, and his broader body of work behind the plate has drawn below-average reviews when taken in sum. The Brewers, however, has a reputation for radically improving catcher defense. Contreras had significant defensive question marks before arriving in Milwaukee but graded as a premium defender last year. Before him, Omar Narvaez also saw pronounced improvements in his defensive ratings upon joining the Brewers.
Haase also brings some versatility to the table. While he’s not exactly a premium defender in the outfield, he’s still logged 355 career innings in left and made a one-off appearance in right field as well. He’s also had one-off appearances at both infield corners in the minors. For a Brewers team that has typically valued players who can move around the diamond, Haase’s outfield experience perhaps held additional appeal that other backup catching candidates couldn’t match.
Also of appeal is the fact that Haase comes to Milwaukee with multiple years of club control remaining. The Guardians outrighted him at season’s end — effectively non-tendering him — rather than paying him a raise in arbitration. Haase has just 3.058 years of big league service time, meaning he’ll remain under club control even beyond the current campaign. The Brewers can retain him via arbitration all the way through the 2026 season if the signing pans out. If not, Haase can at least serve as a bridge to catching prospect Jeferson Quero, who is fast climbing the minor league ladder and could be an option to join Contreras in Milwaukee by 2025 — if not later in the 2024 campaign.
Eric Haase Elects Free Agency
Catcher Eric Haase elected free agency on Tuesday, according to his transaction log on MLB.com. He was eligible to become a free agent after having been designated for assignment and sent outright to Triple-A earlier this season. He is perhaps the most notable of several players to hit the open market on Tuesday, including Zack Collins, Cole Tucker, and Josh Lester.
Once a top-30 prospect in the Guardians system (per Baseball America), Haase played a handful of games for Cleveland during the 2018 and ’19 campaigns. During that time, the backstop hit .094/.147/.188 across 19 games, prompting a DFA during the 2019-20 offseason. The Tigers scooped him up for cash considerations, and after another disappointing season in 2020, he broke out the following year. He finished with 22 home runs and a .745 OPS in 98 games – 66 at catcher and a handful in left field. The 2022 season was more of the same, and he posted a respectable .748 OPS in 110 contests. The righty batter was especially impressive that September, slashing .295/.329/.564 over the final month of the season.
Unfortunately, Haase could not build upon that success in 2023, as he struggled out of the gate and only continued to flounder as the year went on. The Tigers gave him plenty of time to turn things around, but eventually, the club decided to take a chance on a different backup catcher, signing Carson Kelly and designating Haase for assignment. The Guardians scooped him up for a reunion, but it wasn’t long before he lost his roster spot to bigger-name waiver-wire additions Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, and Matt Moore. With the September 1 deadline for postseason eligibility having passed by that point, Haase chose to accept an outright assignment to Triple-A. He finished out the season with the Columbus Clippers, slashing .154/.233/.269 across eight games.
While Haase had a rough year at both the major and minor league levels, he shouldn’t have trouble finding a job for 2024. Capable defensive catchers are always in demand, and his ability to cover the outfield corners is a valuable skill. What’s more, he’s only a year removed from two straight seasons as an above-average offensive catcher. He’ll certainly draw some interest this winter, especially if any teams think he can rediscover his 2021-22 form.
Outright Assignments: Haase, Barlow, Lopez, Johnson
Catching up on some players being outrighted off their teams’ 40-man roster, with all info coming from MLB.com’s official transactions page unless credited otherwise…
Latest Moves
- The Guardians assigned catcher Eric Haase to Triple-A this evening, three days after he was designated for assignment. The 30-year old backstop was drafted by Cleveland back in 2011 and eventually made his major league debut with the club in 2018. He was shipped to Detroit in a cash deal in January 2020 and spent the next several years as the club’s primary catcher, slashing .229/.280/.400 in his 301 games with the Tigers. Detroit designated him for assignment back in August to make room for the signing of Carson Kelly and he was promptly claimed off waivers by the Guardians, reuniting him with his first big league organization. In this most recent stint with Cleveland, Haase made it into just three games, going 2-for-10 with a walk and three strikeouts before being DFA’d for the second time that month. As a player who’s been outrighted in the past, Haase has the right to reject the outright assignment if he so chooses, though he would not be eligible for the postseason upon signing with a new club and could simply elect free agency this offseason if not added back to the 40-man roster.
Earlier Today
- The Royals outrighted Joe Barlow to Triple-A after clearing waivers, two days after the right-hander was designated for assignment. Barlow has a 4.66 ERA over 13 games and 9 2/3 innings with the Rangers this season, as he has spent most of 2023 pitching at the Triple-A level. Kansas City claimed Barlow off waivers in early August but he didn’t receive and big league action for K.C., instead just pitching at Triple-A Omaha. Barlow posted a 2.81 ERA and 24 saves over 64 innings for the Rangers in 2021-22, even if his secondary metrics hinted that some regression was coming.
- The Reds outrighted infielder Alejo Lopez to Triple-A. Lopez was designated for assignment earlier this week when Cincinnati added Hunter Renfroe and Harrison Bader to the roster. Because Lopez has previously been outrighted in his career (back in February), he has the option of rejecting the outright assignment and becoming a free agent, though there isn’t yet any word about his decision. The 27-year-old Lopez was a 27th-round pick for the Reds in 2015 and he has spent his entire career with the organization, including 73 games and 159 plate appearances at the big league level in 2021-22. Cincinnati selected Lopez’s contract again this week but he didn’t see any more game action before being DFA’ed. Lopez has hit .262/.307/.321 in the majors but he has shown an ability to get on base during his minor league career, even if his power numbers are lacking. Playing primarily around the infield during his career, Lopez has added to his versatility by getting more corner outfield action over the last couple of seasons.
- The Giants outrighted outfielder Bryce Johnson to Triple-A. Like Lopez, Johnson was also a recent DFA, and he also has the option of free agency since he has been outrighted in the past. Johnson made his Major League debut in 2022, and has hit .148/.209/.213 over 67 PA while appearing in 41 games for San Francisco in the last two seasons. Known as a strong defender who can play all three outfield positions, Johnson also has plus speed, though his impressive stolen base totals from the minors (157 steals in 199 chances) haven’t yet translated into the small sample size of his big league career. His overall offensive game has yet to really show up in the big leagues, as Johnson has a .287/.370/.431 slash line over 988 PA at the Triple-A level.
Guardians Designate Eric Haase, Peyton Battenfield For Assignment
The Guardians have designated catcher Eric Haase and right-hander Peyton Battenfield for assignment, tweets Zack Meisel of The Athletic. Their removal from the 40-man roster will clear space for the addition of waiver claims Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Matt Moore. (Cleveland already had one open spot on the 40-man roster.)
Haase, 30, only recently returned to the Guardians, his original organization, after being claimed off waivers from the division-rival Tigers, who’d also designated him for assignment. He went 2-for-10 with a walk in three games in what looks like it’ll be a brief return to Cleveland.
From 2021-22, Haase turned in a .242/.295/.451 batting line with his hometown Tigers, swatting 36 home runs, 29 doubles and a pair of triples in 732 plate appearances. That offense clocked in about six percent better than league average, by measure of wRC+, and Haase showed some defensive versatility along the way. In addition to his work behind the plate, the Tigers frequently used him in left field (in addition to a pair of one-off appearances in right field and at first base).
The 2023 season has been a rough one for Haase, however. In 93 trips to the plate, he’s slashing .201/.247/.281. Haase has seen his ground-ball rate increase, while his exit velocity and hard-hit rate have both trended in the wrong direction. He’s also popping the ball up to the infield at a career-high rate. He’ll be placed on outright waivers or released within the coming days.
If Haase goes unclaimed on waivers, he’d remain with the Guardians and could yet be postseason-eligible if added back to the 40-man roster. He’d also have the right to reject the assignment in favor of minor league free agency. If he clears, stays with the Guards and is not added back to the 40-man by season’s end, he’ll be able to become a free agent, as is the case with all outrighted players who have three or more years of service time.
Battenfield, 26, was a ninth-round pick by the Astros in 2019 who’s since been traded to the Rays (for Austin Pruitt) and to the Guardians (for Jordan Luplow). He made his big league debut earlier this season and has appeared in seven games (six starts), pitching to a 5.19 ERA with an 18.5% strikeout rate, 8.2% walk rate and 43% ground-ball rate in 34 2/3 innings of work. He’s also struggled in 47 2/3 Triple-A frames this year, recording a 5.66 ERA with a 10.3% walk rate that’s nearly as high as his uncharacteristically low 11.8% strikeout rate.
While the 2023 season has been a rough one, Battenfield was quite solid in Triple-A just a year ago. He piled up 153 2/3 innings in Columbus during the 2022 season and notched a 3.66 ERA with a 17% strikeout rate, 8.9% walk rate and 39.1% ground-ball rate. Battenfield has never been regarded as one of the organization’s top prospects, but he has a nice minor league track record prior to the 2023 season and has a pair of minor league option years remaining beyond the current campaign. Teams in search of rotation depth could potentially give him a look on waivers in the coming days. If he goes unclaimed, he’d remain with the Guardians but no longer occupy a spot on the 40-man roster.
Guardians Claim Eric Haase, Designate Zack Collins
The Tigers announced Monday that catcher Eric Haase, whom they designated for assignment over the weekend, has been claimed off waivers by the Guardians. Cleveland designated fellow catcher Zack Collins for assignment in a corresponding move.
Haase, 30, goes from his hometown team back to the team that originally drafted him and gave him his Major League debut back in 2018. Cleveland selected Haase in the seventh round of the 2011 draft but traded him to Detroit for cash in Jan. 2020. He appeared in just seven games during the shortened 2020 season but broke out in 2021 and has seen semi-regular playing time over the past three seasons.
In 2021-22, Haase turned in a .242/.295/.451 batting line, swatting 36 home runs, 29 doubles and a pair of triples in 732 plate appearances. That offense clocked in about six percent better than league average, by measure of wRC+, and Haase showed some defensive versatility along the way. In addition to his work behind the plate, the Tigers frequently used him in left field (in addition to a pair of one-off appearances in right field and at first base).
The 2023 season has been a rough one for Haase, however. In 286 trips to the plate, he’s slashing .201/.246/.284. Haase has seen his ground-ball rate increase, while his exit velocity and hard-hit rate have both trended in the wrong direction. He’s also popping the ball up to the infield at a career-high rate.
Guardians catchers rank dead-last in offense this season, batting a combined .184/.258/.312. Even a small step toward Haase’s 2021-22 production would clear that remarkably low bar. For now, Haase will split time behind the plate with top prospect Bo Naylor. If he shows well down the stretch, Haase can be retained for another three years via arbitration, so there’s potential for him to stick around for awhile in his original organization. He’s out of minor league options, however, meaning he can’t be sent down without first clearing waivers.
Collins, 28, was the No. 10 overall draft pick by the White Sox out of Miami back in 2016 but has yet to establish himself at the MLB level. He’s spent parts of five seasons in the Majors and tallied 465 plate appearances during that time. His .188/.300/.329 slash is illustrative of his struggles to make contact, though. Collins has a huge 13.1% walk rate in his career, but he’s also fanned in 33.5% of his plate appearances. He’s a .252/.371/.468 hitter in 1040 Triple-A plate appearances.
Now that the trade deadline has come and gone, the only action the Guardians can take with Collins is to attempt to pass him through outright waivers or release him. He’ll be placed on either outright waivers or release waivers within the next few days.
Tigers Sign Carson Kelly, Designate Eric Haase
5:10PM: Kelly’s club option is worth $3.5MM plus incentives, as per Evan Petzold. This is less than the $4.275MM Kelly made in 2023, and less than the minimal raise Kelly would’ve received in arbitration, though it can assumed that Kelly can probably make up that salary if he hits his incentive bonuses.
4:11PM: The Tigers’ deal with Kelly contains a club option for the 2024 season, according to The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen (via X). The option essentially formalizes the arbitration control Detroit already held over Kelly’s services, and forces the Tigers to make a quicker decision on Kelly’s offseason fate.
3:26PM: The Tigers have officially announced Kelly’s signing and Haase’s DFA, with the added detail that Kelly has signed a Major League contract.
3:04PM: Carson Kelly looks to have signed with the Tigers, as Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press (X link) was the first of several Tigers beat writers to note that Kelly was on field with the team prior to today’s game. Petzold later reported that the Tigers have created roster space for Kelly by designating catcher/outfielder Eric Haase for assignment.
The Diamondbacks DFA’ed and then released Kelly last week after the catcher cleared waivers, making the 29-year-old a free agent for the first time in his pro career. Formerly a top-100 prospect during his time in the Cardinals’ farm system, Kelly was one of the centerpieces of the trade that sent Paul Goldschmidt to St. Louis, as the D’Backs were hoping Kelly could be their catcher of the future. A strong 2019 season implied that Kelly was breaking out, yet the backstop’s numbers have eroded since he suffered a fractured wrist in June 2021.
Over 618 plate appearances since that wrist fracture, Kelly has hit only .216/.286/.337, translating to a 72 wRC+. It had already appeared as if the D’Backs had moved on at the catching position when they acquired Gabriel Moreno last winter, but Kelly’s playing time was further erased when his right forearm was fractured after being hit by a pitch in Spring Training. As a result, Kelly didn’t make his 2023 debut until June 12, and had only a .580 OPS this season before Arizona cut ties.
The Tigers could view Kelly as a change-of-scenery candidate, and is controlled through the 2024 season via his final year of arbitration eligibility if Detroit opts to tender him a contract. For now, Kelly is ticketed for backup duty since Jake Rogers is having a solid enough year to establish himself as Detroit’s regular starter behind the plate. For much of the season, the Tigers have given Rogers roughly twice as many starts as Haase, with the versatile Haase also getting some work as a left fielder.
A Detroit native, Haase hit .242/.291/.451 with 36 homers over 732 PA in 2021-22, with his power helping generate a 106 wRC+ despite the lackluster average and OBP. Haase was one of the few Tigers players who delivered above-average offense during their disastrous 2022 season, but his own bat went cold this year, as Haase hit only .201/.246/.284 with four home runs over 282 PA. A big dropoff in hard contact led to Haase’s extended slump, and it now might cost him his spot in the organization.
Haase turns 31 in December, though he still has all of his arbitration years, making him controllable through the 2026 season. That control, his past power numbers, and Haase’s ability to play in left field (though the defensive metrics don’t like his glovework on the grass in 2023) could get him a look from another team on a waiver claim, especially with catching depth being even trickier to find post-trade deadline.
Haase is out of minor league options, so the Tigers had to go the DFA route in order to move him off the active roster. Because he was outrighted in the past, Haase has the right to elect free agency and decline an outright assignment to the Tigers’ farm system if he clears waivers.