Detroit Tigers bring back Bligh Madris on MiLB contract

Bligh Madris returns to the Detroit Tigers organization.

The Detroit Tigers offseason is in full swing, and the team is continuing to make some moves, combing through their roster at all levels of the organization. The team agreed to a minor league deal with Bligh Madris. It's not his first go-round with the team, and the name may ring a bell.

Madris spent some time with the Detroit Tigers organization in 2023 when he was claimed off of waivers. Madris came to Detroit by way of the Tampa Bay Rays organization before his contract was purchased by the Houston Astros.

It's been quite the whirlwind of a year for Madris, who bounced around a bit. But he has since been added back to the Tigers organization, where he will be on a minor-league contract. He'll likely come into the Tigers organization looking to serve as organizational depth, aiming to hold down a spot in the minors.

While Madris may not be some savior addition for the big league roster, and he's not even going to be on the 26-man roster, he has a chance to play a role within the organization in a minor-league depth spot. After all, he is a utility man who swings it from the left side, so there's some value in that.

Madris did crack the Astros' big-league roster in 2023 for the Astros, playing in all of 12 games and totaling 30 plate appearances. For Houston, he slashed .154/.267/.192 for Houston, with four walks and seven strikeouts. Let's call it like it is: Madris is not coming to Detroit to compete for a big-league roster spot.

That's okay, too. The Tigers will need organizational depth, which they lack, and having someone like Madris in the minors is a good thing. He can hack it in Triple-A, and eat up some at-bats, and slo in as needed.

In 2023, Madris did play in 100 games in Triple-A with Houston, where he accumulated 456 plate appearances. He slashed .235/.349/.413 with ten doubles, five triples, and 15 home runs, driving in 53 runs. Again, nothing earth-shattering, but depth is not going to hurt anyone.

While he did not play in Detroit's system last season, he's obviously got a feel for the Tigers organization. So, while it's not a move that will elevate the Tigers at the big league level, it's good to see the Tigers starting to make moves to establish some depth.