Detroit Tigers should sign these two left-handed batters as depth pieces

Detroit Tigers executive vice president of baseball operations and general manager Al Avila could do with more depth signings. Here are two fits in Dustin Ackley and Chris Parmelee.

Detroit Tigers fans have seen a steady stream of departures since the 2017 season began.

From starting pitcher Justin Verlander and outfielders J.D. Martinez and Justin Upton in August and July to utility ace Andrew Romine and outfielder Alex Presley in the offseason, there have been plenty of exits.

However, executive vice president of baseball operations and general manager Al Avila has added some depth to help the organization for the upcoming season.

Depth

Avila has brought in a handful of minor league signings in utility player Niko Goodrum, outfielder Chad Huffman and pitchers Kevin Comer and Mark Montgomery.

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The quartet won’t come close to matching the impact that Verlander, Martinez and Upton made– few players, if any will.

However, the added depth will help the Tigers navigate 2018.

Still, more depth pieces could also prove to be useful.

Ideally some of these players could conceivably become a contributor or even an eventual trade chip for the Tigers.

At worst, they’d be useful players to have available at Triple-A Toledo.

Once again, this is all speculative mind you, but here are two hypothetical depth adds for the Detroit Tigers.

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Dustin Ackley

The second-overall pick in the 2009 draft in a first round that also produced A.J. Pollock, Randal Grichuk, Mike Leake, Garrett Richards, Shelby Miller and Mike Minor.

Also, two guys you may have heard of called Stephen Strasburg and Mike Trout.

Ackley had a strong debut campaign with the Seattle Mariners in 2011.

In 376 plate appearances, the former first-round pick hit .273 with a .348 on-base percentage, a .417 slugging percentage and a .766 OPS.

He also added 117 wRC+, a .337 wOBA, a .144 ISO and a 10.6% walk rate while tacking on 39 runs scored, 36 RBI, 16 doubles, seven triples, six home runs and six stolen bases.

Also in part thanks to some solid field at second base (+9 DRS and a 9.8 UZR/150 in 741 defensive innings), Ackley turned in a 3.0 fWAR.

However, that would prove to be his highest career fWAR to date.

Ackley did turn in a 2.1 fWAR in 2014, but he’s been unable to recapture the offensive form that not only made him a high draft pick, but helped him shine as a rookie.

All that being said, the former Mariner is still just 29. He can play first base, second base and all three outfield spots.

He’s also hits left-handed and is coming off a solid 2017 campaign with Anaheim’s Triple-A affiliate.

Last year, the ex-Mariner posted a .340 on-base percentage and 36 extra-base hits at the minors’ highest level.

As a depth piece to have at the ready at Triple-A Toledo or as a versatile bench piece in the Majors, Ackley could provide useful over the course of the coming season.

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Chris Parmelee 

The Detroit Tigers first base depth chart in 2017 at times included the likes of Miguel Cabrera, Alex Avila, Andrew Romine, John Hicks and Efren Navarro.

With Avila, Romine and Navarro  off the roster, there is a definite need for depth.

The need for additional depth could be exacerbated even more so if Cabrera moves to designated hitter on a more consistent basis next season.

That would leave Hicks as the only option.

In other words, signing a first baseman like Chris Parmelee could prove to be beneficial.

Like Ackley, he also hits left-handed and owns an .845 lifetime OPS at the Triple-A level.

The former Twin, who played parts of four seasons under current Detroit Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire in Minnesota, can also man the outfield corners.

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He’d be a useful depth piece, especially considering he owns a 101 wRC+ and a .720 OPS against southpaws.