| Detroit Free Press
Watch: Detroit Tigers introduce AJ Hinch as manager
Detroit Tigers owner Christopher Ilitch and GM Al Avila introduce new manager AJ Hinch, Oct. 30, 2020.
The Detroit Tigers have 19 players, including six major leaguers, competing for teams in various leagues this offseason.
The Mexican Pacific League began Oct. 15, followed by the Dominican Winter League on Sunday. The Colombian League launches Nov. 28, and both the Venezuelan Winter League and Puerto Rican Winter League start Dec. 1. The Australian Baseball League begins Dec. 17.
Here’s the full list:
Notable players
Team: Tigres del Licey.
League: Dominican Winter League.
The buzz: Alcantara has yet to play as of Tuesday. In 2020, the 24-year-old played 10 games for the Tigers, going 3-for-21 (.143) with one home run. His solo homer came on the first at-bat of his MLB career.
Team: Toros del Este.
League: Dominican Winter League.
The buzz: Candelario won’t begin playing in this winter league until December. His wife gave birth to their daughter, Alaya, on Nov. 12. In 2020, the 26-year-old had a breakthrough season with a .297 batting average, seven homers and 29 RBIs in 52 games.
Team: Cangrejeros de Santurce.
League: Puerto Rican Winter League.
The buzz: Last winter, Cameron hit .205 with three doubles, three triples and one homer in 21 games for Cangrejeros de Santurce. In 2020, the 23-year-old played 17 games for the Tigers, going 11-for-57 (.193) with three RBIs.
Team: Gigantes del Cibao.
League: Dominican Winter League.
The buzz: Cisnero won’t begin playing until December. He had a 3.03 ERA, 1.112 WHIP, 34 strikeouts and 10 walks in 29⅔ innings across 29 games for the Tigers last season. This is his seventh season in the Dominican Winter League.
Team: Venados de Mazatlán.
League: Mexican Pacific Winter League.
The buzz: The Mexican Pacific Winter League shut down activities from Nov. 6 to Monday because of positive COVID-19 cases. On Tuesday, the league resumed and Paredes went 2-for-4 with an RBI single. In four games, Paredes is 3-for-13 (.231) with one RBI, five walks and three strikeouts. The 21-year-old played 34 games for the Tigers in 2020, hitting .220 with four doubles, one home run and six RBIs. This is his fourth winter playing in the Mexican Pacific Winter League.
Team: Águilas Cibaeñas
League: Dominican Winter League.
The buzz: Soto won’t begin playing until December. In 2020, the 25-year-old had a 4.30 ERA, 1.261 WHIP, 29 strikeouts and 13 walks in 23 innings across 27 games. His fastball reached 100 mph. This is Soto’s second offseason in the Dominican Winter League. (He had a 0.82 ERA in 11 innings last winter.)
Other players
C Eliezer Alfonzo
Team: Leones del Caracas.
League: Venezuelan Winter League.
The buzz: In 2019, Alfonzo hit .381 with one homer and 24 RBIs for Short-Season A Connecticut. Now 21, he signed with the Tigers in July 2016.
RHP Adolfo Bauza
Team: Bravos de Margarita.
League: Venezuelan Winter League.
The buzz: In 2019, Bauza had a 4.66 ERA, 1.835 WHIP, 49 strikeouts and 32 walks in 46⅓ innings across 14 starts for the Tigers’ Dominican Summer League team. Now 20, he signed in July 2017.
RHP Drew Carlton
Team: Leones del Escogido.
League: Dominican Winter League.
The buzz: In 2019, Carlson owned a 1.46 ERA, 0.971 WHIP, 65 strikeouts, 18 walks and 19 saves (in 20 chances). He pitched 68 innings across 45 games. Now 25, he was selected by the Tigers in the 32nd round of the 2017 draft out of Florida State.
OF Esney Chacon
Team: Bravos de Margarita.
League: Venezuelan Winter League.
The buzz: In 2019, Chacon posted a .185 batting average, five doubles and 13 RBIs in 38 games in the Rookie Gulf Coast League. Now 20, he was signed in July 2016.
LHP Rodolfo Fajardo
Team: Caribes de Anzoátegui.
League: Venezuelan Winter League.
The buzz: In 2019, Fajardo had a 3.29 ERA, 1.134 WHIP, 22 strikeouts and six walks in 27⅓ innings across 12 games (nine starts). He pitched three games in Short-Season A Connecticut and nine more in Rookie Gulf Coast League. Now 20, he was signed in February 2017.
RHP Dario Gardea
Team: Charros de Jalisco.
League: Mexican Pacific Winter League.
The buzz: In 2019, Gardea registered a 3.82 ERA, 1.239 WHIP, 35 strikeouts and eight walks in 30⅔ innings across eight games (six starts) in the Rookie Gulf Coast League. Now 21, he was signed in January 2018.
He has pitched 7⅓ innings in the Mexican Pacific Winter League this year, holding a 9.82 ERA, 2.591 WHIP, 12 strikeouts and six walks.
OF Cam Gibson
Team: Sydney Blue Sox.
League: Australian Baseball League.
The buzz: In 2019, Gibson hit .235 with nine homers and 51 RBIs in 117 games for Double-A Erie. Now 26, he spent three seasons at Michigan State before the Tigers picked him in the fifth round of the 2015 draft. His father, Kirk Gibson, played 17 years in the majors, including 12 for the Tigers.
RHP Gerson Moreno
Team: Estrellas Orientales.
League: Dominican Winter League.
The buzz: In 2019, Moreno pitched to an 8.10 ERA, 1.950 WHIP, seven strikeouts and five walks in 6⅔ innings across seven games (six starts) for the Tigers’ Rookie Gulf Coast League squad. In 2018, he threw 17 innings for Double-A Erie. Now 25, he underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2018. He was signed in October 2012.
RHP Joe Navilhon
Team: Sydney Blue Sox.
League: Australian Baseball League.
The buzz: In 2019, Navilhon had a 4.10 ERA, 1.225 WHIP, 68 strikeouts and 17 walks in 63⅔ innings across 38 games (three starts). That year, he pitched for High-A Lakeland, Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo. Now 27, he was selected by the Tigers in the 21st round of the 2016 draft out of USC.
RHP Emmanuel Quinones
Team: Charros de Jalisco.
League: Mexican Pacific Winter League.
The buzz: In 2019, Quinones had a 3.47 ERA, 1.221 WHIP, 34 strikeouts and 10 walks in 46⅔ innings across 11 starts in the Rookie Gulf Coast League. Now 21, he was signed in July 2017.
He has pitched 3⅓ innings in the Mexican Pacific Winter League this year, holding a 10.80 ERA, 1.500 WHIP, two strikeouts and two walks.
RHP Angel Reyes
Team: Criollos de Caguas.
League: Puerto Rican Winter League.
The buzz: In 2019, Reyes logged a 3.60 ERA, 1.383 WHIP, 64 strikeouts and 35 walks in 60 innings across 46 games for Single-A West Michigan. Now 23, he was picked by the Tigers in the 19th round of the 2018 draft from the University of Sciences and Arts of Oklahoma.
OF Jacob Robson
Team: Sydney Blue Sox.
League: Australian Baseball League.
The buzz: In 2019, Robson hit .267 with nine homers and 52 RBIs in 112 games for Triple-A Toledo. He has spent the last two winters in the Dominican Winter League. Now 25, he was taken by the Tigers in the eighth round of the 2016 draft out of Mississippi State.
RHP Jesus Rodriguez
Team: Leones del Caracas.
League: Venezuelan Winter League.
The buzz: In 2019, Rodriguez had a 5.47 ERA, 1.491 WHIP, 80 strikeouts and 32 walks in 105⅓ innings across 21 starts. He pitched two games for Single-A West Michigan and 19 more for High-A Lakeland. Now 22, he The 22-year-old was signed in July 2014.
Evan Petzold is a sports reporting intern at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.