Detroit Tigers: 3 recently DFA’d free agents they should pursue

The Detroit Tigers could add one of the many players who were designated for assignment before the 40-man roster deadline.

Earlier in the week, the Detroit Tigers and the rest of the league had to set their 40-man rosters in advance of next month’s Rule 5 Draft. Detroit has 39 players on their roster, giving them room to make a selection for the third year in a row – after taking left-hander Daniel Stumpf and outfielder Victor Reyes in prior seasons.

However, Detroit could certainly add to their roster in another way, namely by adding one of the many new free agents who were released by other teams. Doing so would fill the final spot on the 40-man roster, meaning they would need to cut someone if they wanted to select someone in the Rule 5 Draft. They have a few options of players to release, so don’t be surprised to see GM Al Avila be active in the bargain bin for the next month or so.

Here are three players, two first baseman and a LOOGY, that Detroit could consider signing now that they are free agents. Each of them could step into a big role for the Tigers in 2019.

Jose Fernandez

The Detroit Tigers already signed a player named Jose Fernandez this offseason, a young left-handed reliever who will compete to be Detroit’s LOOGY next season. However, now that the Angels have released their Jose Fernandez, Detroit should consider adding a name-twin.

Fernandez finally reached the big leagues in 2018, posting a nice .267/.309/.388 slash line with a 94 wRC+ in 36 games. He has always hit well in the upper minors, with a .202 ISO at Triple-A in 2018 (17 home runs in 91 games).

Detroit is in need of a left-handed hitting first baseman – and Fernandez fits the bill perfectly. While Justin Bour, Logan Morrison, Lucas Duda and Luis Valbuena are all options, Fernandez represents a cheap option that has a great chance to outperform all of them.

At age 30, Fernandez doesn’t represent a long-term option for the Tigers. In fact, they’d be lucky to get more than 1-2 years out of him.

However, he represents a nice veteran stopgap that shouldn’t cost much and should give the Tigers solid production at a spot of need. Can’t ask for much more than that.

C.J. Cron

In what was perhaps the most surprising move of the 40-man roster deadline day, the Tampa Bay Rays designated slugging first baseman C.J. Cron for assignment. Cron is coming off the best season of his MLB career, blasting 30 home runs with a 122 wRC+ and a 2.1 fWAR.

At just 28 years old, Cron represents a multi-year option for the Tigers. He is expected to command roughly $5.2M through arbitration and if signed, could be controlled through 2019.

However, despite a career-year, there is reason to doubt Cron’s sudden rise from last season. For starters, Cron’s HR/FB rate spiked to 21.4%, a big cry from his 15.8% career mark. His hard hit rate was up, but his fly ball rate was down which is concerning. Steamer projections see him as a 102 wRC+ type player, AKA just above average.

The Detroit Tigers could really use more oomph in their lineup however, and Cron would give them another bopper to slot in alongside Christin Stewart, Nicholas Castellanos and Miguel Cabrera. An extra year of team control gives them leverage in a trade scenario as well.

There are many other free agents the Detroit Tigers could pursue between now and the Rule 5 Draft, meaning their roster could look very different between now and then.