Detroit Tigers: Could JaCoby Jones Add Life to the Team?

As the Detroit Tigers continue to flounder, the team, fans, and pundits continue to look for reasons why. One of the most commonly held beliefs is that the team is just too old.

One way to test this theory is to put a few young guys into the game. And, one young guy who will soon be available is JaCoby Jones.

The 24-year-old multi-position player is finishing up his 50-game suspension for the abuse of “drugs of choice.” He is expected to join the Erie Seawolves in a week.

The Tigers are not immune to the idea of moving prospects up, even if it is technically too early. In 2014, the team moved Buck Farmer up after only four games in Erie and Toledo. He did not do well, but now he continues to move back and forth between Triple-A Toledo and Detroit.

The Tigers have done the same with Michael Fulmer and Daniel Norris. Many argue that they were both brought up too early, but fans have grasped the hope that these players bring.

It is clear that the Tigers are comfortable moving pitchers up when needed, but the decision makers seem to hesitate with position players. Fans are still waiting for the moment that Steven Moya will get to play in Detroit full time. But, it is more likely that Jones will get to the team first.

Even though Moya has a hot bat right now (.305 BA with 9 HR), his position-playing options are limited. There is no way that the Tigers are going to replace J.D. Martinez with Moya. So, in Toledo he stays. 

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However, there are plenty of reasons why JaCoby Jones could make a difference in Detroit. The biggest is called centerfield. Jones can easily handle the sprawling centerfield, as well as left field, shortstop and third base. It is unlikely that Jones will take the place of Nick Castellanos and his amazing bat, but he could step in to replace a few of the slumping players on the left side.

Anyone who watched Jones during spring training saw that he easily passed the eye-ball test. During his time in Lakeland with the big boys, Jones hit .313 with 2 home runs and a 1.234 OPS. He had a total of five strikeouts, and those were in the first half of spring training. He did not strike out at all in the second half – he actually increased his walk rate in the second half of spring training.

As the Tigers battle to end what could become an epic losing streak, the prospect of adding a player like Jones could be the change the team needs. Instead of trotting out players with batting averages at or below .100, why not see what a hungry young player can do?

Next: Who Could Replace Brad Ausmus?

After seeing how comfortable JaCoby Jones looked in the big field in Lakeland (centerfield measures 420″), why not give him a chance in the big field in Detroit?