12 minor league free agents the Detroit Tigers should consider

Baseball America released the 2021-2022 minor league free agent list and there are a few names out there that could help out the Detroit Tigers.

Last season, I got the opportunity to go to a lot of Detroit Tigers minor league games. In addition, MiLB TV is a great app that allows you to check out the other talents in various systems. The Tigers took great advantage of the minor league free agents last season as they were able to fill the Toledo Mud Hens and Erie SeaWolves rosters with a few names that we will get to shortly.

Because of COVID and with a handful of picks only to work within the 2020 MLB Draft, the main focus of last year’s signings were pitchers.  Here are the signings from last season and where they pitched.

• RHP Mark Leiter Jr-Erie, Toledo
• RHP Drew Hutchison-Toledo, Detroit
• RHP Pedro Payno-Erie, Toledo
• RHP Cale Coshow- Erie
• RHP Henry Martinez-Erie, Toledo
• RHP Ricardo Pinto-Erie, Toledo
• LHP Locke St. John-Toledo

With prospects like Beau Brieske, Brendan White, and later, Reese Olson, the Tigers were able to see what they had at West Michigan and Lakeland. Several late-round draft picks like Chavez Fernander out of the bullpen and starters like Brieske and Garrett Hill would be contributors at Erie.

With the Detroit Tigers having a new VP of player personal in Ryan Garko and the new faces in the minor league organization he is bringing, there will be a different vibe on who they will sign to fill the needs.

Names that Tigers fans got to know like Yariel Gonzalez and Aderlin Rodriguez, who also signed last season, are now free agents. The rest of the list you can find at Baseball America($) but includes the pitchers I mentioned above and two players who Tigers fans know in Cristian Stewart and Josh Lester.

So let’s address the outfield and see a few names that could make sense for the Detroit Tigers to pursue.