Detroit Tigers: 3 recently elected free agents the Tigers should pursue

The Detroit Tigers have an opportunity to pursue a big collection of new free agents, who will be available on the cheap.

18 different teams, including the Detroit Tigers, lost players to one of the first bouts of free agency elections. Players who are outrighted off the 40-man roster during the season, but choose to remain in the organization instead of opting for free agency, are allowed to elect free agency at the end of the season.

All told, 41 players took that option and are now free agents. Two of them, Dixon Machado and Jacob Turner, were outrighted off the Tigers roster. While either of them could be brought back on new deals, it seems likely that their time in the Motor City has run its course.

That leaves 39 other players who the Tigers could pursue. This is not a collection of future All-Stars, but for a rebuilding team with holes on their roster this is the kind of shopping this team should be doing.

The list is mostly fringey relievers, but there are also a couple of position players and potential starting pitching options that are available. Of the 39 free agents, here are three that could contribute to Detroit’s 25-man roster in 2019.

Tommy Joseph

Joseph was originally a second round pick by the Giants way back in 2009. He was a catcher, but injuries and poor defense behind the plate forced a permanent move to first base in 2015. He ended up on the Phillies, and made his big league debut in 2016.

In only 315 at-bats, Joseph mashed 21 home runs and 15 doubles. He posted an excellent .248 ISO and slashed a respectable .257/.308/.505 with a 112 wRC+. He offered power in bunches and decent defense, and looked like Philly’s answer at first.

2017 was a step back for the hulking slugger. While he managed 22 home runs he did it in 495 at-bats, seeing his ISO drop to .192. He only slashed .240/.289/.432, and his defense suffered as well.

Joseph was let go by Philadelphia and found his way to Texas, where he spent all of 2018 between AA/AAA. He posted very solid numbers at Triple-A, hitting 21 home runs with a .284/.353/.549 slash line and a 131 wRC+.

The Detroit Tigers are lacking first base depth more than any other position. Assuming Miguel Cabrera moves to full-time DH, the Tigers have John Hicks, Jim Adduci and Edwin Espinal in the upper minors/majors at first. While Joseph isn’t great, he certainly could contend for Detroit’s starting first base gig at the moment.

Hicks is probably the front-runner, but with how poorly Grayson Greiner looked last season it may make sense to have Hicks split time with James McCann behind the plate, freeing Joseph up to play first base on a regular basis.

Worst case, Joseph would be good depth to have at Toledo, as he has clearly proven he can be a middle of the order bat at that level.

Drew Hutchison

Does anyone else remember when Hutchison went 13-5 with the 2015 Toronto Blue Jays, despite a 5.57 ERA? Good(?) times. Anyway, Hutchison is a pending free agent and while his 2018 numbers weren’t great, he has shown enough in the last few seasons to merit consideration as a minor league free agent who could compete for the No. 5 spot in the rotation. He also has the flexibility to be a starter at Triple-A, or a swingman for the big club if needed.

After his odd 2015 season, Hutchison spent 2016 pitching well at Triple-A before he ended up with the Pirates. He spent all of 2017 in Triple-A, earning a 3.56 ERA and a 7.00 K/9. 2018 saw him pitch meaningful big league innings, split between the Dodgers and the Rangers.

All told he threw 42.2 innings in 16 appearances (five starts). His 6.75 ERA was higher than his 6.54 K/9, which is never a good sign.

However, he had a 2.14 ERA in 42 Triple-A innings, so if nothing else Hutchison would be a solid rotation piece at Toledo who could come up in a pinch and provide decent innings. This team dealt with Ryan Carpenter last season, so Hutchison would at least be better than that.

The Detroit Tigers have plenty of ways to improve their roster before the 2019 season. These are just a few options that GM Al Avila and his team could consider.