Tigers protect 5 prospects, designate 6 relievers.

FAN BOTS

Thank you for watching the video     Link:https://www.mlb.com/tigers/news/tigers-add-prospects-to-40-man-roster     Important warning⚠️⚠️   My friend, please check the accuracy of the information. The information I provide may be  incorrect, late, or outdated.   #TigersRoster#MLBTransactions#Prospects#Relievers#Baseball#Detroit#SportsNews

Transcript

00:00Alright, let me break down for you what the Detroit Tigers did this Tuesday, it was a

00:05significant day for their roster, as they made some strategic moves, looking ahead to

00:09the future, the main goal was to protect 5 of their young prospects from being taken

00:14in next month's Rule 5 draft, to do this, they added these 5 players to their 40 man

00:19roster, now, among these 5 3 were already on the team's official top 30 prospects list,

00:25but interestingly, the other 2 are long-time, minor leaguers, who have really worked hard

00:31to earn their spot and force their way into the Tigers' long-term plans, so, who are these

00:365 players? Well, for 2 of them, this move was widely expected, those are catcher and first

00:42baseman Thyrin Lorenzo, the team's number 5 prospect, and infielder Hao Yu Li, the number 6 prospect,

00:49for the other 3, left-handed pitcher Jake Miller, Dom Mumrum 19 prospect, catcher Eduardo Valencia,

00:57and the super versatile Trey Cruz, this was a huge validation of their hard work, and the

01:02roles they've created for themselves within the organization, now, to make space on the

01:0740 man roster for these 5 prospects, plus for 2nd baseman Gleyber Torres, who accepted his

01:12qualifying offer the same day, the Tigers had to remove 6 other players, they designated 6 relief

01:18pitchers for assignment, this group includes a notable name, Jason Foley, who was the team's

01:23closer, and led them with 28 saves in 2024, let me give you a bit more context on some of these

01:29pitchers, Jason Foley, surprisingly, he didn't pitch for Detroit at all this season, after a rough spring

01:35training, he was sent to AAA to Lado, he only made 5 appearances, there, before suffering a right

01:43shoulder injury, that required season-ending surgery in May, he's been working his way back with a

01:49throwing program, but he was eligible for arbitration this winter. The other pitchers designated for

01:55assignment were right-handers Dugan Darnell, Jack Little, Tyler Madison, and Tanner Rainey, plus left-hander

02:01Sean Gwenther, Sean Gwenther like Foley missed most of the season due to surgery, in his case, on his left

02:07hip, and has also been on a throwing program this offseason, Dugan Darnell and Jack Little were both

02:12players the Tigers claimed off waivers from the Pirates earlier this offseason, Tyler Madison, was a

02:18guy the Tigers added to the 40-man roster last offseason, he was a ranked prospect, and it seemed

02:24like he was in a position to make his major league debut later in the year, however, he struggled with his

02:29command after being promoted to AAA Toledo in July, walking 16 batters in 19 innings, even though he did

02:36strikeout 26, a closer look at the newly protected prospects. Now, let's dive deeper into the 5

02:43prospects they protected. 1. Theron Lorenzo. C. Tigers No. 5 Prospect. This was really a no-brainer

02:53decision for the Tigers, he's a switch-hitting catcher, who quickly rose up the prospect rankings,

02:58after coming over from the Dodgers in the Jack Flaherty trade deadline deal this year. Now he did have a

03:04difficult season at AA Erie, batting 206 with a .308 on-base percentage and a .351 slugging

03:11percentage, partly due to some nagging injuries. From July 27th on, he was limited to being a

03:16designated hitter, while another top prospect, Josue Briceño did more of the catching, but remember,

03:22Lorenzo is only 22 years old, and the Tigers have seen with Dylan Dingler, that catchers often need

03:28more time to develop. 2. How U Lee. 3B to 2B. Tigers No. 6 Prospect. Similar to Lorenzo, Lee came to the

03:38Tigers in a trade, from the Phillies for Michael Lorenzen back in 2023, and then faced some challenges

03:44at a new level this year. The 22-year-old played for AAA Toledo, and hit .243 with a .342 on-base

03:52percentage, and a .406 slugging percentage, adding 23 doubles, 14 home runs, 61 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases.

04:01What's impressive is that he did this, while, being four years younger than the average hitter

04:06in the International League. A key skill, that could get him to Detroit soon, is his ability to hit

04:12left-handed pitching. He posted a .299 average and a .523 slugging percentage in 124 played appearances

04:20against them. 3. Jake Miller, LHP, Tigers No. 19 Prospect. Miller was an eighth-round draft pick in

04:272022, and was one of the most talked-about names in the Tigers' system going into this season. He was

04:33even given the start in the Tigers' spring breakout game, which showcases top prospects. However, back

04:39issues severely limited him, allowing him to pitch only 20 innings over just six games all year. When he's

04:45healthy, he works as a hybrid starter and reliever. He has a solid mix of a .92-93 MPH fastball,

04:52a slider, and a change-up that makes him effective against both right-handed and left-handed hitters.

04:574. Trey Cruz, IF of the Tigers, have a recent history with the Rule 5 draft. They lost Gage

05:03Workman last year before the Cubs returned him. Cruz, who was drafted the same year as Workman,

05:0822-20, would have been a very appealing target for other teams as a super utility player.

05:13He's a versatile, right-handed hitter, who finally earned a promotion to Toledo in the

05:18middle of the season, just after he turned 27. He actually performed better at AAA than he did in

05:24AA, finishing the year with a combined .279 average, a 4-1-1 on-base percentage, and a 4-56 slugging

05:32percentage. With 33 doubles, 13 homers, 66 RBIs, 17 stolen bases, and a whopping 102 walks in 127 games,

05:43he's the son of former big leaguer Jose Cruz Jr., and has played every position except first base

05:48catcher and pitcher, which makes him a great fit to eventually crack the Tigers' bench.

05:525. Eduardo Valencia, C1B Valencia, was the surprise breakout player in the Tigers' system this year.

05:59He surged all the way to AAA and into the team's plans for catching depth. His 24 home runs in 103

06:06games between Toledo and Erie were twice as many as he had hit in his previous five minor league

06:11seasons combined by getting into better shape and focusing on hitting the ball harder and in the air

06:16more often. He transformed into a genuine power hitter. He will turn 26 in January, and he provides

06:22important depth behind the plate, along with veteran Tomas Nido, who re-signed on a minor league deal last

06:29month. Finally, it's also important to look at a couple of notable prospects, who were not added to

06:35the 40-man roster, this means they will be eligible to be selected by other teams in the Rule 5 draft on

06:41December 10. Isaac Pacheco, 3B1B Tigers, the Marne 21 prospect. Four years ago, Pacheco was on a similar

06:49high-trajectory path as current Tiger Jackson Job. But while Job made it to Detroit, Pacheco's

06:55development hit a snag at High A West Michigan, where he's played 304 games over the past four seasons,

07:01working to adjust his long swing for more contact. However, he's still young for the level,

07:06and had a renaissance this summer, batting .258, .388, .499, and leading the team to a Midwest

07:13League championship. He is much more likely to finally get promoted to AA than to be selected

07:18in the Rule 5 draft. R.J. Petit, RHP, Tigers, Naga 30 prospect. Petit is a 6-foot, 8,300-pound

07:27reliever who has quietly moved up through the system. While his 95 MPH fastball and sinker might not seem

07:33overwhelming for his size, it's his high-whiff slider, improved change-up, and easy delivery

07:39that make him tough on hitters. He's not a flashy prospect, but with a good change-up and more swing

07:44and miss ability than a typical reliever, he's exactly the kind of unique and durable arm that

07:49could help the Tigers, or another team, restock their bullpen. What's your take on the Tigers' strategy here?

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended