The Detroit Tigers need to make some roster changes
The Detroit Tigers offense is atrocius. Despite a much-needed change at the hitting coach position, the team still ranks dead last in baseball in runs per game. Since they didn't make any outside additions to the lineup this offseason, it's time to look internally.
There are several players currently on the roster they have overstayed their welcome. It's not just the offense, as there a couple pitchers that are on thin ice as well. There are several players in Triple-A that could use a look at the big league level.
The Detroit Tigers need to do something. They can't be this bad once again. With that being said, here are three players that won't be on the roster by May 1.
INF Jonathan Schoop
The is by far the easiest change to make. Schoop is pretty over the hill at this point. He's late on fastballs and can't keep the ball off the ground. I'm not sure what happened, but he's cooked offensively.
Last year, he slashed .202/.239/.322 with a 57 wRC+βthe worst in all of baseball. This year, he's hitting .179/.281/.179 with a 41 wRC+ in 12 games. He doesn't have an extra-base hit yet this season.
Defensively, he's still pretty elite at second base, so it would be tough to lose him on that front. But his defense does not justify him being an automatic out at the plate. It would be better to pay him the rest of the $7.5 million to not play for the team at this point.
Zack McKinstry could have been another cut, but his bat has perked up over the past week and a half. He hit a couple of homers last week. He's also solid defensively.
I would love for Justyn-Henry Malloy to take his spot on the roster since he's been crushing it in Toledo, but I have a feeling he's behind a couple of guys. Andy Ibanez and Andre Lipcius are likely to get looks before he does. Either way, the Detroit Tigers need to move on from Jonathan Schoop. They can do better.