Detroit Tigers: Andrew Romine the Unsung Hero

Detroit Tigers jack-of-all-trades Andrew Romine has been a force off of the bench.

Instead of dreading when a bench player enters the game, there is never a doubt that good things will happen when Romine fills in for a Detroit Tigers teammate.

Lately, he has been lights out at third base, while Nick Castellanos has been recovering from his fractured hand that occurred on August 6.

Throughout the majority of the 2016 season, Romine shared the bench duties with Mike Aviles. Until the Tigers traded Aviles to the Atlanta Braves on August 16. Prior to the Aviles trade for Erick Aybar, Aviles actually got more time in the games that Romine did.

Bench-playing Asset

But, since August 16, Romine has been proving that he is deserving of playing and in hindsight, he should have been playing all season long.

Romine has played in 100 games in 2015. Since Castellanos’ injury, he has played in 15 complete games. In these 15 games, he was usually manning centerfield, second base, and third base. This season, he has appeared in 100 games playing where he has played every position with the exception of left field and catcher. In the games where he has played, the Tigers have a win-loss record of 63-37.

Throughout the season, Romine has been an asset on offense. While he’s no J.D. Martinez or Miguel Cabrera at the plate, he has added value to the team. His season stats are .239/.314/.316 with an OPS of .630, but since the Aviles trade to Atlanta, Romine’s numbers have improved. In the 23 games since then, he has a slash of .276/.344/.345 and an OPS of .689. In those 58 at-bats, he has 8 RBIs and 6 runs. This season, Romine has one home run, two triples, and five doubles.

Romine’s Strengths

Romine will never be a .300 hitter, but the fact that he is a switch hitter makes him a big value in the heavy right-handed line up in Detroit.

Romine’s strengths lie in two areas: speed and fielding. He is one of fastest players on the team, so he frequently comes in to run in late innings – especially to replace hitters like Cabrera and Victor Martinez. He does have seven stolen bases.

His defensive numbers have been above average. As an outfielder and at second base, he is completely error-free in 2016. He has one error at third base in his 41 appearances there and he has one error at shortstop in 38 appearances. His lack of errors is impressive, but it’s his clutch plays that make fun to watch.

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Recognized for His Flexibility

Romine is a shortstop by trade, but his ability at third base has been recognized. Just a few days ago, Brad Ausmus spoke about him: “Over the last two years, he’s become extremely comfortable at his job. He knows that if he’s not starting, he has to be ready to go in on defense. He might be starting at a number of different positions.”

Even without a regular spot in the lineup, Romine has managed to have a positive WAR of 0.4. While this is nothing to write home about, it is a step up from his former bench partner Aviles, who left the team with a -1.4 WAR.

When it comes to the eyeball test (my favorite way of analyzing a player), Romine passes. He has made a handful of diving plays and double plays that protected leads. He has also been involved in momentum changing at-bats. He may not be Ausmus’s go-to pinch hitter, but that’s ok. Romine has delivered in unexpected moments and that’s what important in a bench player.

Next: James McCann: Detroit Tigers Motivational Speaker

The Tigers have him signed through the end of 2016. I’d be perfectly satisfied seeing him return to Detroit in 2017. And, he can keep the beard.