Detroit Tigers free agent profile: A.J. Pollock

Detroit Tigers should consider signing A.J. Pollock.

The Detroit Tigers stunk things up at Winter Meetings, failing to do much on the free agent front. Though Scott Harris spoke of adding a right-handed hitting outfielder and a left-handed hitting infielder, no steps were taken.

Sticking to the Harris script, the Detroit Tigers should be looking at A.J. Pollock to patrol the outfield as needed. He's 35 years old and a long-time veteran of the big leagues at this point. The 2023 season would be the 12th of his career.

Pollock spent the 2022 season with an American League (AL) Central division rival, the Chicago White Sox. He had spent the ten seasons before that with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Tigers might be able to phase him into the outfield at times this summer. He had taken a bit of a step back during the 2022 season with the White Sox, but the Tigers should still be interested in taking a flier on him.

He was not atrocious but took steps back from where he usually is performance-wise. Pollock played in 138 games in 2022, where he slashed .245/.292/.389 with 26 doubles, a triple, and 14 home runs while managing 56 RBI.

He made $5 million with the White Sox last season, so he could be a cost-effective option for the Tigers. The Tigers want a right-handed outfield bat and would like to earmark at-bats for the younger players on the roster.

Pollock played in 138 games last year and logged 527 at-bats but could allow the Tigers to mix in some chances for younger players. Beyond that, he can play both corner outfield spots and has logged time in centerfield as well.

There are things to like about Pollock, that's for sure. Even if he may not perform as he did when he was an All-Star in 2015, he's 35 now and still getting it done. At this point, the Tigers signing any outfielder would be better than what they have done so far.

There's still time this off-season for the Tigers to do something, and Pollock helps fill a need that the Tigers claimed they were looking to fill. The Tigers need to start doing something and make a move; why not consider adding Pollock to the mix?

It's time for Scott Harris to do something this off-season. At this point, it does not even have to be Pollock. Sign a third baseman, sign a different outfielder, or sign someone.