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Five New Free Agents the Detroit Tigers Should Target Immediately

By Chris Brown

DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 17: A general night view of the main entrance of Comerica Park during the game between the Cleveland Indians and the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on September 17, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. The Indians defeated the Tigers 10-3. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 17: A general night view of the main entrance of Comerica Park during the game between the Cleveland Indians and the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on September 17, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. The Indians defeated the Tigers 10-3. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /
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Detroit Tigers
Cincinnati Reds catcher Curt Casali (12) hits a three-run home run in the first inning of an MLB baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Friday, May 31, 2019, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.Washington Nationals At Cincinnati Reds 5 31 2019 /

Detroit Tigers free agent target: Curt Casali

Position – C

Age on Opening Day – 32

Once upon a time Curt Casali was a 10th round pick by the Detroit Tigers. He spent a little more than a year in the system before Detroit traded him to Tampa Bay for left-handed pitcher Kyle Lobstein, with the Tigers choosing instead to cast their catching lot with another backstop they drafted that year, James McCann. Now McCann is seen as one of the best free agent catchers on the market, but Casali may be a reasonable facsimile at a much lower cost. Among all catchers with at least 450 plate appearances over the past three seasons, Casali ranks 10th in wRC+ (16 points ahead of McCann), 13th in Isolated Power (28 points ahead of McCann), and 13th in walk rate (4.5% better than McCann). To be fair, Casali has played fewer than half the innings of McCann, but he’s proven to be a fringe-average defender, and the Tigers desperately need help at catcher.

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