The Tigers announced that they have acquired outfielder Jake Marisnick from the White Sox in exchange for cash considerations. Marisnick wasn’t on Chicago’s 40-man roster and won’t require a corresponding move.
Marisnick, 32, first appeared in the majors almost a decade ago, debuting in July of 2013. He’s spent most of that time as a glove-first outfielder, generally hitting at a below-average rate while providing good defense and some speed. In over 2,000 plate appearances in his career, he’s hit .228/.281/.384 for a wRC+ of 80 while walking at a 5.4% rate and striking out 30.1% of the time. But he’s stolen 79 bases while also tallying 76 Defensive Runs Saved, 48 Outs Above Average and a mark of 22.9 from Ultimate Zone Rating.
He signed a minor league deal with the White Sox this winter and was added to the big league squad about three weeks ago. He was primarily utilized as a defensive replacement, appearing in nine games but with just a pair of trips to the plate. He was designated for assignment last week when the club selected Clint Frazier, then cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment.
The Tigers had their outfield depth thinned a bit today, as Matt Vierling was placed on the injured list, joining fellow outfielders Kerry Carpenter and Austin Meadows. Marisnick will presumably head to Triple-A Toledo and provide the club with a veteran option to turn to if they suffer another injury.