Evan Petzold | Detroit Free Press
Another member of the 2017 J.D. Martinez trade — when the Detroit Tigers sent their slugger to the Arizona Diamondbacks for three prospects — is no longer with the organization.
On Friday, infielder Sergio Alcantara was claimed off waivers by the Chicago Cubs. He was designated for assignment by the Tigers on Jan. 29 to make room for catcher Wilson Ramos, who signed a one-year, $2 million deal, on the 40-man roster.
Alcantara, 24, played 10 games for the Tigers in his debut season in 2020. He went 3-for-21 (.143) with one triple, one home run, one RBI, two walks and four strikeouts. Defensively, he played second base and third base.
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His first MLB at-bat ended with a 388-foot home run to left-center field at Target Field. He was the first Tigers position player to homer in his debut at-bat since Reggie Sanders in 1974.
The 5-foot-9, 151-pound infielder peaked as the Tigers’ No. 15 prospect on MLB Pipeline’s list in 2019. He was not ranked among the team’s top 30 in 2020.
Alcantara was signed by the Diamondbacks an international free agent from the Dominican Republic in July 2012. Alongside third baseman Dawel Lugo and shortstop Jose King, he was sent to the Tigers for Martinez.
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Lugo is currently a minor-league free agent, while King is the final piece left in Detroit’s farm system. He did not play in 2020 after the minors were canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.
Alcantara played second and third base to fill gaps in the lineup and get reps in the majors. His primary position, as displayed in 545 of his 631 minor-league games, is at shortstop.
Through seven seasons in the minors, Alcantara had a .256 batting average, 86 doubles, 14 triples, nine home runs and 187 RBIs. He drew 289 walks compared to 447 strikeouts.
This winter, Alcantara played for Tigres del Licey in the Dominican Winter League. He put together a strong two weeks before collapsing down the stretch, finishing with a .257 batting average, two home runs and eight RBIs, adding eight walks and 21 strikeouts.
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The Tigers have lost three players via waiver claims this offseason: Alcantara, right-hander Anthony Castro (Toronto Blue Jays) and outfielder Troy Stokes Jr. (Pittsburgh Pirates). Castro and Stokes were later designated for assignment by their new clubs, cleared waivers and got sent to the minors.
While with the Tigers, Castro was waived to make room on the 40-man roster for Rule 5 draft pick Akil Baddoo in December. Stokes was designated for assignment to open a spot for outfielder Robbie Grossman, who signed a two-year, $10 million contract in early January.
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Evan Petzold is a sports reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.