Detroit Tigers continue to build depth; add Andy Ibáñez in waiver claim

Detroit Tigers add Andy Ibáñez in a recent waiver claim.

Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations, Scott Harris, noted that he wanted to get the offseason underway by filling needs. As part of his new reign, he has made it clear that he wants to improve the team’s minor league affiliate.

For that, the Detroit Tigers were able to get that started early on in the Harris tenure. The team has made another move, adding infielder Andy Ibáñez in a recent waiver claim. The 29-year-old right-handed bat continues to help them supply the minor league with some depth and intriguing talent.

Ibáñez can play first, second, and third base and will add some hit-tool upside to the Tigers organization. The hope is that Ibáñez adds organization depth and a versatile bat if needed when called upon.

This season, he only logged 40 games at the big league level. He slashed .218/.273/.277 with four doubles and a home run, picking up nine RBI in total. He was punched out 21 times over 128 plate appearances.

Over 73 games played at the Triple-A level, Ibáñez picked up 315 plate appearances. He slashed .255/.330/.390 with 18 doubles, a triple, and six home runs for 31 RBI. It’s another depth addition.

While he has only logged 116 games in the big leagues over two seasons, he has spent time in the minors and has been trying to show he can stick. Frankly, it’s a move that brings another intriguing bat to the organization in another depth move.

The 29-year-old Cuban signed with the Rangers in 2015 and made his affiliate debut in 2016. Harris is continuing to add players who he can try to phase through waivers to get them off the 40-man roster, as was done with Jermaine Palacios after he was claimed.

It’s a chance for the Tigers to keep building a successful offseason. After all, it was clear that Harris was not the biggest fan of this team’s farm system. While he likely was referring to the prospects, building depth is just as crucial.

Ibáñez brings another bat to the organization who’s generally been able to make good swing decisions. He’s a contact-oriented bat, not entirely reliant on the pop or power element. But for a guy who has Quad-A value as a bench guy.

Similar to Palacios, there’s positional versatility upside, and he fits the Harris mold. Continuing to stock the organization with better depth than the team has had in recent years is continuing to power them in the right direction.

While there was a rumor that the Tigers may be big spenders, it will be interesting to see how they continue to build the roster out moving forward.