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.

Zac Rosscup

Rosscup only threw 21.1 innings last season, 11.1 with the Dodgers and the rest in the minor leagues. While he gave up six earned runs in LA, he did post a staggering 20/4 K/BB ratio, good for a 15.88 K/9.

His slider was and still is his bread-and-butter. He threw it over 50% of the time in last year’s small sample size, posting a 19.5% swinging strike rate and a 37.9% o-swing rate, both well above the league average. Those numbers have helped him hold left-handed hitters to a paltry .138/.266/.275 slash line over his 65.2 big league innings – numbers that dwarf those of Daniel Stumpf, Detroit’s current LOOGY.

Rosscup is 30 and not exactly a building block, but Stumpf has hardly impressed in Detroit and Blaine Hardy projects to be a potential rotation piece or trade bait, meaning the team could use another lefty stopper like Rosscup.

The Detroit Tigers only have one spot on their 40-man roster, but Rosscup is clearly a step above fellow left-hander Ryan Carpenter. If I was Al Avila, I’d strongly consider adding Rosscup on a minor league deal and waiving Carpenter to clear a spot. He’d have to compete alongside fellow free agent addition Jose Fernandez, another left-handed reliever.

However, Rosscup’s experience and strong slider make him a nice candidate to be a part of Detroit’s bullpen next season, if Avila chooses to go after him.

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.