The Tigers dropped to 1-3 in Grapefruit League play. He worked his first two years there alongside current Tigers vice president of player personnel Scott Bream. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). The other highly experienced major league among this group is the sole lefty, though the Tigers added numerous southpaws hoping to find someone to help a very right-handed bullpen. Watch Eric Haase and Kerry Carpenter go yard against the Yankees. Among the overlooked bits of news from last month's moves, manager A.J. The Detroit Tigers announced the hiring of several new scouts on Monday, including a former executive with the Baltimore Orioles and a journeyman middle infielder. The Angels' move was made after Pujols refused to accept a reduced role, and the Tigers may need to make a similar request of Cabrera if he becomes an impediment to their hopes of contending. Still, he rarely faced left-handed pitching in Cincinnati. Stockstill worked for the Orioles from 2005-2018, rising to the level of director of player personnel. The 42-year-old. Nieves is now the assistant pitching coach under new manager AJ Hinch in Detroit. Still, he could be worth four extra wins in 2022, given his 3.6 fWAR in 2021 and Detroit's figure of -0.1 from their shortstops. The 67 right-hander is now heading into his age 29 season, and hasnt pitched in the majors since 2019. This was a really good pickup by Scott Harris. 1:15. Team Physician (Internal) - Michael Workings, M.D. When hes locating this high in the zone or above it and has his velo, this thing is extremely hard to pick up and even harder to get the barrel on. AL West. He also pitched an inning of relief. 32-year-old Chasen Shreve has made a nice career out of a filthy splitter and a decent riding fastball. Casey Mize is gonna be the ace they need, Tarik Skubal has tremendous stuff, and there's a lot to like about Matt Manning, though he gave up too much hard contact last year. The next development honcho in the system will be remaking all aspects of the staff, but the pitching coaches seem bound for a major overhaul. Although commissioner Rob Manfred has told teams to prepare to start major-leaguespring trainingon time next month, nothing has been solidified for minor-league camp. If not? Shreve mainly uses it against lefties, but rather than sweeping across the plate away and down from hitters, it tends to stay straighter over the plate and simply dives straight down. "I am thrilled to add an executive of Rob's caliber to lead our amateur and international scouting departments. Wislers low-80s slider carried his strikeout rate well over 30 percent, his walks declined, and only the occasional burst of hangers that got crushed dinged the profile at all. After two seasons with the Marlins, Kelly announced his retirement in Spring Training and rejoined the Tigers in a baseball-operations capacity, giving him a chance to see what role best fit him. Hell probably be primarily at third base, but could fit into a lot of different spots for the Tigers. Gambling problem? "I hope all Tigers fans will join me in welcoming Rob and his family to our organization," Harris said in a statement. Now 30 years old, the former starter was drafted in the seventh round way back in 2011 by the San Diego Padres. Hinch confirmed recently that he and the Tigers will retain the coaching staff in the same roles for next season. No doubt theres a clause where he has to be in the majors by some point in April or hell be automatically released to try his luck elsewhere. Detroit might well have filled it with another veteran infielder and emergency pitcher who grew up in Pittsburgh and played in Detroit. His last big league stint came in 2015 with the Tigers, for whom he started eight games between shortstop, second and third base. Cathcart, a former outfield and baserunning instructor in the Miami Marlins organization, was a former manager of the Connecticut Tigers, and was slated to manage the 2020 short season A-ball Norwich Unicorns before their season, and ultimately the New York-Penn League, was disbanded. Wilson also has baseball instruction and evaluation in his family; his father Mike was the longtime baseball coach at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.Stockstill was in the Orioles organization for 14 years in a variety of roles, including assistant general manager, director of player personnel and director of player development. DETROIT -- The Tigers had a void on their Major League scouting staff to fill when legendary ex-Tiger Don Kelly left to become a coach for the Astros. Gregory Soto is the most disgusting closer nobody knows. As a result, the Detroit Tigers revamped front office is already making moves in terms of their organizational coaching staff. Of course, the SEC produces an awful lot of good pitchers, so they're hardly alone in. Most of the time, Wisler just carved teams up with the slider alone, using it over 80 percent of the time and developing good feel for shaping the break when he was looking to throw strikes versus trying to get chases. While the Tigers are investing heavily in analytics to keep pace with other organizations, they're bucking the trend of other clubs that have reduced their Major League scouting ranks in recent years. August 18, 2021. Scott Harris had been on the job minutes, maybe hours, but apparently, not much longer, when on Oct. 6 he made his first big move as the Tigers' new front-office chief. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. With the exception of the Triple-A International League, the minor league affiliates completed their 2021 seasons over the weekend. The Tigers have some options in the pen, but an injury or two to key guys could really blow the whole thing up. In the process, long-time player development honcho and Vice-President, David Littlefield, was moved out of that role to a retirement gig, as was his other half, former Vice-President David Chadd. Catching on Haase's hitting ability (22 homers, .745 OPS in 2021) and positional versatility (he can also play left field and first base) make the Tigers a candidate to carry three catchers in 2022 in which case the likely third is veteran Dustin Garneau, who played 20 games for the Tigers in 2021. Detroit Tigers third baseman Jeimer Candelario finally received his championship ring. With Littlefield out, current Director of Player Development, Kenny Graham, takes over running player development until a Vice-President, possibly Graham himself, is hired into the executive role, presumably under the Vice-President of Player Development title. He never pitched during the 2022 season as both the elbow and back remained problems that needed more rehab work. He was traded to the Atlanta Braves and debuted as a backend starter in 2015-2016. Hinch during their time in Houston. He worked with Detroit from 1999 to 2007. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. "They need another year of growth from their starters before we can take them seriously as contenders, although they showed they're serious about taking the next step by signing Eduardo Rodrguez right away. DETROIT -- The Tigers had a void on their Major League scouting staff to fill when legendary ex-Tiger Don Kelly left to become a coach for the Astros. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). Castro is still young and hopefully a long term project even if things dont immediately snap back into form. At the Dominican Academy, Wilfredo Crespo and Jimmy Ortiz are now administrators. Little evidence of success has played out on the field over a long period of time, and its not easy to believe the new staff will rapidly turn the situation around. Mark Johnson was the Erie SeaWolves pitching coach this season. Houston Astros Houston Los Angeles Angels LA Angels Oakland Athletics Oakland Seattle Mariners Seattle Texas Rangers Texas. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. We feel good about how we set it up.". On the scouting side in particular, the latest hires are a mix of veteran experience with potential.The 37-year-old Wilson played pro baseball for 17 years, including parts of eight seasons in the Majors, before retiring last year. MINNEAPOLIS -- Don Kelly finally has a full-time position with the Tigers.After six years in Detroit as a super-utility player and a post-retirement tryout as a scout and instructor, Kelly has been promoted to the Tigers' Major League scouting staff. "All of us are trying to get everything together and figure out exactly what's going to take place," Littlefield said in a Zoom call. The Tigers hired Metzler, the Rays' senior director of amateur scouting for seven seasons, as an assistant general manager Tuesday in Harris' biggest front office move to date. But in Detroit, it may have provided a roadmap for a similar severing of ties with Miguel Cabrera. "We spent some time looking around, but when you have Major League experience, it's a huge asset. As a result, the Detroit Tigers revamped front office is already making moves in terms of their organizational coaching staff. Right-handed slider specialist Matt Wisler is the most obvious answer. The Cubs gave him a short look, but the velo and control problems persisted and they too designated him on September 5. Five minor league signings that could impact the Tigers bullpen, 2023 Tigers player preview: Nick Matons a pretty versatile guy. On Tuesday, Brett Ghiroli and Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic. Shreve hasnt worked with all that many good organizations in terms of pitcher development, but hes also 32 years old. Most of his profile revolves around the fastball, and getting it back to 2021 form is the main key for a Kervin Castro revival. "As A-ball goes, in both cases, it's very much oriented toward development," Littlefield said. Rob's track record of success with the Rays speaks for itself, and his innovative approach to talent acquisition will help us achieve one of our main goals: to acquire, develop and retain young talent in Detroit.". Among Wilson's teammates was a young shortstop prospect named Jose Cabrera. The move, directed by president of baseball operations Scott Harris, comes one day after the Tigers parted ways with assistant general manager David Chadd. Three weeks ago, the organization made made major changes to their front office, promoting Jay Sartori, formerly the Senior Director of Baseball Analytics and Operations and the key architect of the clubs analytics department and modernization of the front office, to Vice-President and Assistant General Manager. The full release from the Tigers is here. 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. He managed the Tigers' Dominican Summer League team for five years before moving up to manage one of their rookie-level Gulf Coast League squads in 2016.Among the amateur scouting hires, Taylor rejoins the organization after spending the last nine years in the Marlins scouting department. Hinch was a tremendous hire. The problem has been injuries preventing him from getting back on the mound. As you can see below, the Tigers have released their Player Development Staff who will lead their affiliates in 2022. ", More:Tigers pitchers, including Justin Verlander, accused of doctoring baseballs 'for years'. The Tigers would like to see Shreve throwing 92-93 again, rather than the 90.6 mph he averaged in 2022. He was signed to a minor league deal with an invite to camp, and will earn $1.5 million should he make the major league roster out of camp. Based out of his home in Pittsburgh, he traveled around Detroit's farm system for instruction while going on assignment during the season to bolster the scouting ranks. On Tuesday, Brett Ghiroli and Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reported a lengthy list of names among the Tigers player development staff who wont have their contracts renewed for 2022. "Both of those guys (Pena and Graham) are strong leaders and they do an excellent job of not only leading the staff and leading the players, but they are quality representatives for the Tigers in those communities. An email was sent to members of the scouting department Friday morning. After trading Joe Jimnez and Gregory Soto, and losing Michael Fulmer and Andrew Chafin, a pretty good 2022 bullpen needs serious reinforcement this year. Shreve was drafted way back in 2010 by the Atlanta Braves in the 11th round and has always been a reliever even as a prospect. The additions in scouting are important for us in our search for impact type players to bring into our organization.". Another option is just to throw the splitter and slider a little more, and try to keep right-handed hitters from crushing the fastball. Against right-handers, Uceta leans more to his power curve, which looks like a slider based on the spin angle, but actually dives down more than hitters expect. Henry's scouting work included top pick Casey Mize last year. MLB Draft Home . The first (partially) broadcast spring training game saw the Tigers power out to an early lead. The Tigers only control Barnhart's rights for one season, and his long-term future in Detroit could depend on the status of Jake Rogers, who had elbow surgery last summer. A rebuild that sometimes seemed interminable finally appeared to have turned a corner in 2021, when the Tigers, following an 8-19 April, went 69-66 the rest of the way, fueled by a young core . The reason I'm here in Detroit is to bring that same energy, passion and innovative spirit, culminating with winning baseball on the field at Comerica Park for years to come. On Friday morning, Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris and manager A.J. Staying current is easy with Crain's news delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge. . (AP). After an aggressive offseason that included signing free-agent shortstop Javier Baez to a big contract, the Tigers are hoping to take the next step towards contention. Odds & lines subject to change. The Detroit Tigers midseason Top 30 update for 2021. DUNEDIN, Fla. The Detroit Tigers lost to the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-4, on Tuesday at TD Ballpark. Author: . Our new baseball magazine delivers full MLB team previews, fantasy insight, schedules, and predictions. In addition, Sam Menzin, who previously served as Director of Baseball Operations, will now assume the role of Director of Baseball Operations and Professional Scouting. Sign up for our Morning 10 newsletter to get the local business news you need to know to start your day. If all goes as planned, they will help try and push the Tigers to the playoffs for the first time since 2014. He fired his . Wilson spent parts of eight seasons in the big leagues, logging his last Major League at-bat with the Tigers in 2015. "Growth in the analytics area is key in our goal of making sound, informed baseball decisions both when evaluating players, and in providing data to the big league players, manager and his coaching staff," he said in a statement. Team ranks accompanied by full scouting reports and MiLB video. But this roster is built around homegrown talent highlighted by a rotation featuring young-arms-on-the-rise Casey Mize, Matt Manning and Tarik Skubal. If the occasional fastball is consistently 91-92 mph? The club would probably like to keep lefty Joey Wentz and right-hander Beau Brieske stretched out to back up the rotation, but Garrett Hill, Alex Faedo, and Rule 5 pick Mason Englert will all have a good chance to contribute in the pen. 0:46. Hitters whiff a lot, and they make a ton of very easy outs on weak fly balls and pop ups. CF Akil Baddoo (L)RF Robbie Grossman (S)SS Javier Bez (R)3B Jeimer Candelario (S)DH Miguel Cabrera(R)LF Austin Meadows (L)2B Jonathan Schoop (R)1B Spencer Torkelson (R)C Tucker Barnhart (L), UT Willi Castro (S)C Eric Haase (R)OF Derek Hill (R)OF Vctor Reyes (S), LHP Eduardo RodrguezRHP Casey MizeLHP Tarik SkubalRHP Michael PinedaRHP Matt Manning, LHP Gregory Soto (C)RHP Michael FulmerLHP Andrew ChafinRHP Kyle FunkhouserRHP Jos CisneroRHP Joe JimnezRHP Alex LangeLHP Miguel Del Pozo. One way or the other, they need some help from their group of minor league free agent signings and waiver claims and theres enough talent on hand to expect that one of them will be a big factor in the Tigers bullpen this season. The fastball is low powered, and typically sits in the low-90s, though recently hes averaged more 90 mph than the 92-93 mph he had at his best. Before joining the Brewers, Mirocke spent 26 years at the MLB Scouting Bureau, including the final 14 as Professional Scouting Coordinator. Its a tricky delivery to time up, and the Tigers staff has their work cut out to improve his precision significantly this spring. Now, Kelly will focus on scouting, joining a veteran crew of scouts that in many cases date back to his playing days with Detroit. The club hired Josh Kragness as senior software engineer and brought Beau Horan, Aidan Kearns and Zach Wolf on board as analysts. Back in the 2019-20 offseason, Candelario guided Toros del Este to the Dominican Winter League. The low release point and snappy, late release helps it play up a lot when hes spotting it. After six years in Detroit as a super-utility player and a post-retirement tryout as a scout and instructor, Kelly has been promoted to the Tigers' Major League scouting staff. Toward that end, the Tigers announced a flurry of on-field and player-development staff assignments Tuesday, including the hiring of two former teammates in Detroit Doug Bochtler, who. Kelly will transition into a full-time Major League Scout role moving forward with the organization. A great equalizer for him against right-handers, the pitch features good deception and tends to tail away harder than hitters expect, drawing whiffs and weak contact off the end of the bat. Alex Lange looks to be easily the best of the holdovers from last season. He'll have a big . Amateur scouting director Scott Pleis was fired after 15 seasons with the organization, multiple sources with knowledge of the situation told the Free Press.