The Detroit Tigers have a handful of players, including five with MLB experience, competing for teams in various leagues this offseason.
The Mexican Pacific Winter League began Oct. 5, followed by the Venezuelan Winter League on Oct. 23 and the Dominican Winter League on Oct. 27. The Puerto Rican Winter League is scheduled to begin Nov. 6. The Australian Baseball League has been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2022 ROSTER PREDICTION 1.0: Big name could fill shortstop void, but what about starting pitching?
PLAYER GRADES: Evaluating each Tiger as team aims for winning record, playoffs in 2022
Scroll down for the Tigers winter league assignments.
This list contains Tigers players that are currently playing or are expected to play in the winter leagues this offseason. If any additional players end up competing, the list will be updated. The Puerto Rican Winter League has not yet released its rosters.
Dominican Winter League
2B/LF Willi Castro
Team: Leones del Escogido.
League: Dominican Winter League.
The buzz: Castro, 24, is coming off the worst season of his three-year MLB career, hitting .220 with nine home runs, 38 RBIs, 23 walks and 109 strikeouts in 125 games. He had been a Rookie of the Year candidate in 2020, thanks to his .349 batting average over 36 games. To get back on track, Castro wants to improve his defense at second base, decrease his chase rate and tap back into his power.
The switch-hitter is 0-for-7 with one strikeout in two games for Leones del Escogido this winter. He played second base in both games.
MORE: Willi Castro says ‘frustrating’ 2021 doomed by approach, chase rate
RHP Drew Carlton
Team: Leones del Escogido.
League: Dominican Winter League.
The buzz: Carlton made his MLB debut and appeared in four games for the Tigers in 2021, posting a 4.91 ERA, four walks and one strikeout over 3⅔ innings. The 26-year-old reliever has flown under the radar since the Tigers drafted him in the 32nd round in 2017, but he has a 2.03 ERA across 137 games (213 innings) in his minor-league career.
So far this winter, he has a 13.50 ERA in two games (1⅓ innings) for Leones del Escogido. He boasted an impressive 0.63 ERA, one walk and 11 strikeouts over 14 games (14⅓ innings) in the Dominican Republic last offseason.
MORE: Drew Carlton ‘keeps having success’ as MLB journey stops in Dominican Republic
1B/3B/DH Aderlin Rodriguez
Team: Leones del Escogido.
League: Dominican Winter League.
The buzz: Rodriguez, 29, still hasn’t made his MLB debut, but he had a breakout performance in Triple-A Toledo in 2021: a .290 batting average, 29 home runs, 94 RBIs, 42 walks and 127 strikeouts over 116 games. Those results earned him the Triple-A East MVP award. He is hitting .375 (3-for-8) with one double through two games for Leones del Escogido.
In the Dominican Republic, Castro, Carlton and Rodriguez are teammates with former Tigers reliever Fernando Rodney. Rodney, 44, hasn’t played in the big leagues since 2019 but continues to pitch internationally.
LHP Carlos Pena
Team: Aguilas Cibaenas.
League: Dominican Winter League.
The buzz: In 2021, Pena registered a 3.34 ERA, 13 walks and 59 strikeouts in 59⅓ innings across 14 games (10 starts) in the Florida Complex League and Low-A Lakeland. Appearing in nine games (six starts) for the Flying Tigers, the 23-year-old had a 2.93 ERA, nine walks and 33 strikeouts in 40 innings. The Tigers signed Pena in March 2019.
RHP Rony Garcia
Team: Estrellas de Oriente.
League: Dominican Winter League.
The buzz: A 2019 Rule 5 draft pick, Garcia didn’t get many opportunities in 2021 because of a season-ending left knee injury sustained during warmups in June. The 23-year-old had a 2.45 ERA, two walks and two strikeouts over 3⅔ innings in two relief appearances this season. Now that he is healthy again, the Tigers are eager to see him perform in the Dominican Republic.
MORE: Tigers take a chance on sling-shot righty Rony Garcia in Rule 5 draft
RHP Gerson Moreno
Team: Estrellas de Oriente.
League: Dominican Winter League.
The buzz: Moreno logged a 4.59 ERA, 29 walks and 73 strikeouts over 49 innings in 37 relief appearances between Double-A Erie (35 games) and Triple-A Toledo (two games) in 2021. The 26-year-old has pitched two innings over two games out of the bullpen for Estrellas de Oriente. He has a 4.50 ERA and three strikeouts without conceding a walk. The Tigers signed Moreno in October 2012.
RHP Elvin Rodriguez
Team: Tigres del Licey.
League: Dominican Winter League.
The buzz: With the Rule 5 draft approaching in December, the Tigers need to decide whether or not to protect Rodriguez by putting him on the 40-man roster. The 23-year-old had a 5.83 ERA, 29 walks and 80 strikeouts over 75⅔ innings in 18 starts for Double-A Erie this season. He also pitched two scoreless innings in one relief appearance for Triple-A Toledo. The Tigers acquired Rodriguez from the Los Angeles Angels in September 2017 to complete the Justin Upon trade.
Rodriguez allowed two runs on three hits and one walk with four strikeouts across 2⅔ innings in his first start for Tigres del Licey. He is teammates with many current and former MLB players, including Emilio Bonifacio, Jorge Bonifacio, Dawel Lugo and three-time All-Star Hanley Ramirez. Of the team’s 20 pitchers used this season, 15 of them have big-league experience.
MORE: Tigers pitching prospects overshadow Riley Greene’s huge night for Double-A Erie
RHP Angel De Jesus
Team: Gigantes del Cibao.
League: Dominican Winter League.
The buzz: De Jesus dominated for Double-A Erie with 13⅓ scoreless innings across nine games (one start) before his promotion to Triple-A Toledo. Upon joining the Mud Hens, the 24-year-old registered a 4.21 ERA, 32 walks and 62 strikeouts over 51⅓ innings in 35 games (two starts). Overall, De Jesus finished 2021 with a 3.34 ERA in 64⅔ innings. He has pitched two scoreless innings in two games for Gigantes del Cibao this winter, allowing two walks with one strikeout. The Tigers signed De Jesus in May 2016.
Mexican Pacific Winter League
2B/3B Isaac Paredes
Team: Venados de Mazatlan.
League: Mexican Pacific Winter League.
The buzz: Last winter, Paredes hit .379 — winning the league’s batting title — with four home runs, 26 RBIs, 27 walks and 12 strikeouts over 42 games for Venados de Mazatlan. He then slumped in the Caribbean Series, going 2-for-20 (.100) with two walks and four strikeouts in five games. This time around, Paredes could be activated to play in Mexico as soon as Tuesday night.
The 22-year-old played 23 games for the Tigers in 2021, logging a .208 batting average, one homer, five RBIs, 10 walks and 11 strikeouts. He also hit .265 with 11 homers, 42 RBIs, 56 walks and 47 strikeouts in 72 games for Triple-A Toledo.
MORE: How Tigers’ Isaac Paredes is preparing ‘to be in a competition’ in 2022
OF Jacob Robson
Team: Venados de Mazatlan.
League: Mexican Pacific Winter League.
The buzz: Robson, 26, jumped from Double-A Erie to Triple-A Toledo to the Tigers this season, but he didn’t last long in Detroit. He went 0-for-7 with four strikeouts in his four games before being demoted to Mud Hens. He hit .424 in 18 games for Erie and .259 in 78 games for Toledo. After offseason stints in the Dominican Winter League (2019-20) and Australian Baseball League (2020-21), Robson is set to play alongside Paredes in Mexico this winter.
MORE: Jacob Robson is a Detroiter by way of Canada. But parents might miss his 1st Tigers start
RHP Martin Herrera
Team: Tomateros de Culiacan.
League: Mexican Pacific Winter League.
The buzz: Herrera signed with the Tigers in January 2018 and has completed three minor-league seasons in four years. In 2021, he pitched 29 innings over 16 games (one start) in the Florida Complex League, recording a 5.28 ERA, 12 walks and 17 strikeouts. The 21-year-old spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons in the Dominican Summer League.
Venezuelan Winter League
2B/3B/OF Carlos Mendoza
Team: Caribes de Anzoategui.
League: Venezuelan Winter League.
The buzz: Mendoza, 21, started this season in the Florida Complex League and ended up getting a taste of Double-A Erie. He hit .415 in 26 games in the FCL, .288 in 28 games for Low-A Lakeland and .200 in two games for the SeaWolves. In total, Mendoza had a .343 batting average, 40 walks and 24 strikeouts over 49 games, but he posted just one home run.
Mendoza has played five games for Caribes de Anzoategui. He is hitting .167 (2-for-12) with two doubles, four walks and four strikeouts. The Tigers signed him in March 2019.
RHP Williander Moreno
Team: Caribes de Anzoategui.
League: Venezuelan Winter League.
The buzz: Moreno spent all of 2021 with Low-A Lakeland. He finished with a 3.16 ERA, 21 walks and 67 strikeouts across 57 innings in 25 games (two starts). The 22-year-old has thrown 1⅔ scoreless innings with one strikeout in his lone appearance in the Venezuelan Winter League. The Tigers signed Moreno in January 2018.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold. Read more on the Detroit Tigers and sign up for our Tigers newsletter.