Detroit Tigers: It Is Extremely Early, but Trading Cameron Maybin Looks Like Right Move

Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila traded center fielder Cameron Maybin in the offseason. It is early in the season, but that looks like a shrewd move thanks to the play of two of Maybin’s replacements.

Detroit Tigers fans headed into the 2017 season knowing they would be seeing a new starting center fielder.

The position was Cameron Maybin’s in 2016, and the former first-round pick turned in perhaps the best season of his career.

Acquired from Atalanta for Ian Krol, who sported a 5.18 FIP in 60.2 innings as a Tiger, and pitching prospect Gabe Speier, Maybin was Detroit’s offensive sparkplug.

Often hitting at the top of the order in combination with second baseman Ian Kinsler, Maybin logged a 2.0 WAR and a 120 wRC+ in 94 games for the Tigers.

The center fielder also added 43 RBI, 15 stolen bases, 14 doubles, five triples and four home runs in 391 at-bats.

What’s more, he drew 36 walks en route to posting a stellar .383 on-base percentage.

Maybin made on impact on the bases as well, turning in a 2.5 BsR and a 2.0 UBR. His ability to run the bases was particularly useful on a Tigers team that has long been devoid of stolen base threats.

Overall, Maybin finished with the fourth-highest WAR among Tigers position players.

Among the Detroit players he finished ahead of where Nick Castellanos, J.D. Martinez, Justin Upton and Victor Martinez.

In other words, he was pretty integral to the team.

However, Avila and the rest of the Detroit front office flipped Maybin to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for pitching prospect Victor Alcantara.

The team saved some cash in the deal, as Anaheim is now on the hook for the center fielder’s salary in 2017.

According to Spotrac, Maybin will earn $9 million this season.

For a team looking to become more financially efficient over the long run, the trade made was the right call for Detroit.

However, as the 2017 season has gotten under way, the production of two players has made the trade look like the right call for the Tigers.

It is obviously extremely early, but these two players are more than making up for the loss of Maybin.

Who are the two players? Glad you asked.

JaCoby Jones

Maybin’s trade to Anaheim opened up the center field spot for one of Detroit’s more promising prospects.

With Derek Hill and Jose Azocar still in the low minors and Mike Gerber seeing more time as a corner outfielder, JaCoby Jones has firmly established himself as the Detroit Tigers center fielder of the future.

Early on in 2017, the former Pittsburgh Pirates farmhand has shown flashes of why he’ll be a long-term contributor in the Motor City.

In seven games (21 at-bats), Jones has collected four RBI, two runs scored, a home run and a double.

While he’s struck out six times, the center fielder has drawn three walks.

What’s more, three of his seven strikeouts came in Monday’s win over the Red Sox. Boston’s pitcher that game was ace Chris Sale.

Sale’s nasty stuff and arm angle make him a tough matchup for any hitter.

Strikeout totals aside, Jones hasn’t waved at as many pitches outside the zone in general.

The sample sizes between last season (13 games, 28 plate appearances) and this season (seven games, 21 plate appearances) are admittedly small for Jones.

However, they are similar in size for comparison’s sake.

Last season, Jones turned in a 44.6 O-Swing percentage. This season, that number is down to 34.7 percent.

O-Swing percentage is a stat that looks at how often a batters takes a hack at a pitch outside the zone.

If Jones can continue to keep that number down all season, he’ll be in excellent shape.

JaCoby Jones’ Value

Depending on who you ask, Jones has also been a key member of Detroit’s roster in terms of defense and base running.

Baseball Reference had him at a 0.4 WAR entering Wednesday, while FanGraphs had him at a 0.1 number beginning of the day.

WAR numbers generally aren’t very at the beginning of seasons. Still, Jones has shown his value.

If you use Baseball Reference’s number, the 24-year-old owns the second-best WAR among position players after Tuesday. If you use FanGraphs’ stat, he checks in sixth among non-pitchers.

Much of the reason the WAR is so high—relatively speaking—is due to the defense and base running.

Jones paces the Tigers with a DRS (defensive runs saved) and rPM (plus minus runs saved) of two.

He also leads all Detroit players with a 0.2 BsR, a stat used in relation to base running, in the early going.

Jones is one of two center field options for the Detroit Tigers in the early parts of the 2017 season.

The other is also thriving with the added playing time following the Maybin trade.