Tigers sign former division rival in last-minute effort to address outfield problems

On Friday, the Detroit Tigers updated fans on the statuses of Parker Meadows and Matt Vierling. Though both are progressing, they're expected to miss more time and will not be with the team on Opening Day.

That's left a considerable depth void in the outfield. Right now, the Tigers are projected to start Riley Greene in left, Wenceel Perez in center, and Kerry Carpenter in right. Carpenter, though, is expected to get a majority of DH reps, so the Tigers needed to make a move to help them in the short term.

On Sunday morning, they reportedly signed former Twins, Rays and Padres outfielder Manuel Margot, who just had a career-worst season in Minnesota last year. He logged -0.9 WAR and a 76 OPS+ in 129 games. That can easily be characterized as an aberration, however.

While Margot isn't a star, he's certainly a productive veteran outfielder who has largely been a good defender despite struggles the last couple years. He's definitely a better everyday defensive option than Carpenter and has a lot of center field experience to assist Perez should his skills not translate as seamlessly.

Tigers News: Detroit adds veteran outfielder Manuel Margot to address roster concerns

It is a major league contract for Margot, who will be on the Opening Day roster for the start of Detroit's season against the Los Angeles Dodgers (who he has plenty of experience playing against thanks to his four years in San Diego). He was just released by the Brewers after competing for outfield reps this spring.

Though there are some concerning metrics with Margot, his 2024 numbers also suggest he got a bit unlucky. He hit just .238 but ranked in the 73rd percentile for expected batting average. He also doesn't swing and miss or strike out much, which is good quality for this offense to have after finishing tied for seventh with the most strikeouts in MLB last year.

Meadows is expected to miss at least another four weeks, and it's still unclear when he'll be able to throw. The Tigers are cautiously working Vierling back to full strength due to the concern regarding his shoulder. Detroit needs experienced help if they are going to be without those two for at least the first month of the year.

Margot has some AL Central experience from the last year and has nine years under his belt in MLB. We'll call this another shrewd move by Scott Harris, who has quietly made meaningful smaller moves to help the Tigers at the start of 2025.