The Tigers announced today that they have inked four players to minor-league deals with invitations to Spring Training. Righty Louis Coleman, catchers Bobby Wilson and Kade Scivicque are among them, along with and infielder Kody Eaves.
Coleman tossed 51 1/3 frames in the majors for the rebuilding Tigers last year, working to a 3.51 ERA. Despite the good results, Coleman was outrighted after the season, as the club recognized that his underlying mix of 7.2 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 did not portend the kind of success that would warrant an arbitration deal. The seven-year MLB vet should compete for a bullpen job in camp.
As for Wilson, the 35-year-old has appeared in nine MLB seasons over his career, though he has only ever recorded more than two hundred plate appearances with a single club in one of those (2012 with the Angels). He has compiled exactly one thousand plate appearances, over which he owns a less-than-enticing .208/.263/.313 slash line. Of course, Wilson’s appeal lies not in his bat but in his sturdy reputation behind the dish. He could conceivably crack the Opening Day roster but seems most likely to take up residence at Triple-A.
Scivicque, 25, is still looking for his first shot at the bigs. He was a fifth-round pick of the Detroit org back in 2015. He returned to the organization in 2018 after a stint with the Braves that began when he was sent to Atlanta via trade. Scivicque has a .667 career OPS in both 305 Double-A plate appearances and 218 trips to the plate at the highest level of the minors.
That leaves Eaves, who’s likewise slated for a return to the Tigers organization. The 25-year-old had a nice offensive season in 2017 but scuffled last year, slashing just .198/.283/.298 in 377 plate appearances in the upper minors. He was originally an Angels draft pick who came to Detroit in a 2016 swap.
With numbers like these guys have, they’ll fit right in with the Tigers.
Can’t wait till 2021 when we finally start spending and winning again.
Isn’t that the same year that all of the rest of the rebuilding teams are aiming at? And isn’t 90% of the league rebuilding?
He’s right, guys, he’s right. Best to keep rebuilding until ‘25, to avoid all the great teams in ‘21.
Go Tigers! (but not yet)
All of you non-Tiger fans count your blessings.
count them now…and prepare for the future onslaught.
The Tigers somehow hired the cream of the free agent crop scooping all the other clubs. Ron Gardenhire’s expertise is just too astoot for the Major Leagues Nothing beats getting a player who has a reputation.
Complete and laughable garbage until 2021 when the White Sox and Tigers will be fighting for the Central Division Title.
Actually, it’ll be between the Royals and Tigers.
Dayton Moore and Al Avila are solid baseball people with track records. They’re going about it the right way – slowly acquiring young players, being patient and developing them.
Both are looking for the same sort of players – quick, fast, athletic position players to take advantage of their large parks; and solid pitchers that can keep the ball in the park for their fielders to pick it or run down.
The Royals and Tigers are going to be fun to watch starting as soon as 2020. This strike out or homer baseball along with pulling the ball into a shift may be fun for those that follow MLB by watching highlights and keeping up with how the guys on their fantasy team are doing, but it’s the same boring thing over and over for those of us that actually watch the games.
The farm pitching looks solid on paper, but it’s the bats that still need help. Cameron looks good, but aside from him their isn’t much else to be excited for. With 5th overall pick this draft (fingers crossed for top 5 pick next year too) they will hopefully take the best bats available to them.
You can’t count the WhiteSox out in 2021. They did a fantastic job with their rebuild, compared to the Tigers so far.
Sammy is spot-on.
Avila has done nothing yet
Agree
I like Coleman but the others are depth
Wake me when they trade Castellanos for Raimel Tapia or somesuch…
Season ticket orders should increase now.
These are minor league contracts giving these players a chance to earn a roster spot. Louis Coleman will likely stick
Thanks for recapping the article
Hi mr. Avila I’m a recently laid off GM auto worker I can throw the ball at about 60 miles an hour which is pretty much like a batting practice pitch but I figured I can get about the same results as the guys you are hiring plus I’m left-handed!Call me!!!
Lol
The Tigers didn’t keep McCann so now they’re down a catcher. Wouldn’t be surprised to see Wilson stick in the bigs and put up putrid numbers.
He will put up about the same numbers as Kozma at ss.
Who cares
Stanley please, this is serious.
I do. Bye Kraz