Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Tigers appear to have found their new shortstop. But it’s not the man many hoped for. MLB Network/Fox Sports reporter and Free Press alum Jon Paul Morosi reported early Tuesday morning that the Tigers are close to signing shortstop Javier Baez to a six-year deal. Baez, who will turn 29 on Wednesday, is

Detroit Tigers catcher Grayson Greiner is a free agent. After the Tigers removed Greiner from the 40-man roster, the 29-year-old cleared waivers Monday and decided to test the open market. He hit .236 with one home run, seven RBIs, nine walks and 31 strikeouts across 31 games in 2021. Had the Tigers not cut Greiner, he would

The Detroit Tigers already made a tough decision last week. That’s when the organization informed left-hander Matthew Boyd that they wouldn’t offer him a contract for the 2022 season. The Tigers have until 8 p.m. Tuesday to make decisions about nine others: Jeimer Candelario, Michael Fulmer, Jose Cisnero, Joe Jimenez, Spencer Turnbull, Dustin Garneau, Harold Castro, Victor

Matthew Boyd won’t be returning to the Detroit Tigers. The organization plans to non-tender Boyd ahead of Tuesday’s 8 p.m. deadline, meaning he will become a free agent, a source with knowledge of the situation told the Free Press on Sunday night. He was projected to receive $7.3 million in his final year of salary arbitration. Had Boyd not

The Detroit Tigers thought about making a change. Manager AJ Hinch hosted a small group of candidates for interviews. He was looking to hire a first base coach after interim Kimera Bartee came up from the minor leagues to serve in that role for most of the 2021 season. After those interviews, Hinch determined Bartee needed to

Javier Baez to the Detroit Tigers? Again, not so fast. There’s a chance Baez signs with the Tigers, but there’s also a chance Carlos Correa, Corey Seager, Marcus Semien or Trevor Story put pen to paper. The Tigers refuse to spend $300 million (or more) for a shortstop, which basically rules out Correa and Seager unless the market crashes

The Detroit Tigers had decisions to make. There were some key prospects general manager Al Avila could pick from: Kody Clemens, Angel De Jesus, Paul Richan, Logan Shore, Garrett Hill, Will Vest and Chavez Fernander. He chose Clemens and De Jesus, adding them to the 40-man roster and protecting them from the Rule 5 draft. “I think

Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila didn’t leave any room for interpretation about Ryan Kreidler, a shortstop prospect and former fourth-round draft pick from UCLA who ascended to Triple-A Toledo last season. “We like Kreidler a lot,” Avila said Monday. MORE: Prospect Ryan Kreidler on elite shortstop market: ‘I’ll change my game’ Meanwhile, the Tigers are

Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila and manager AJ Hinch traveled to Miami earlier this month. They had scheduled a meeting with left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez and his agent, Gene Mato, at a restaurant to discuss a potential contract. The Boston Red Sox offered him the $18.4 million qualifying offer, but Rodriguez had other ideas for free

They have turned into a tag team. Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila and manager AJ Hinch. They are traveling around the country together and sharing dinners while meeting with free agents. “Some really good meals, Al and I are sharing,” Hinch said. “You know, the most successful one to date is the one that

The Mendoza Line originated from a baseball player in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Shortstop Mario Mendoza — from Chihuahua, Mexico — had a career .215 batting average across 686 games in nine MLB seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1974-78), Seattle Mariners (1979-80) and Texas Rangers (1981-82). In five of those seasons, Mendoza failed to

Eduardo Rodriguez signed with the Detroit Tigers for a lot of reasons. For starters, the Tigers offered him a five-year, $77 million contract. But he also likes the idea of being a cornerstone piece for a building franchise. He understands the Tigers are trying to make the postseason for the first time since 2014, and he

Detroit Tigers manager AJ Hinch ordered a ham and cheese omelet Thursday at the Tiny Boxwoods restaurant in Houston. The person sitting across from him: Carlos Correa, a free-agent shortstop who is expected to command at least $30 million per year and $300 million total (but probably more like $340 million) on the open market.

What the Detroit Tigers do next depends on a lot of things. The scenarios begin with the shortstop market: Will the Tigers eventually pay up to get Carlos Correa? If not, how much will they spend for one of the other premier shortstops? And if the Tigers, for some reason, swing and miss at a top shortstop, everything changes. In

Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell made his way to the mound. It was May 28, 2015. Making his MLB debut, Eduardo Rodriguez stood at the center of this moment. The left-hander had faced the Texas Rangers in front of 34,000 fans at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas. He pitched 7⅔ scoreless innings, allowing

Carlos Correa has the Detroit Tigers on his radar. The Tigers have spoken to representatives of all five premier shortstops on the free-agent market: Correa, Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Trevor Story and Javier Baez. While the Tigers make sense for a lot of these players, Correa is the one significantly interested in coming to Detroit. To some on

The Detroit Tigers added two players to their 40-man roster — infielder Kody Clemens and right-handed reliever Angel De Jesus — before Friday’s deadline to protect them from being selected in the Rule 5 draft in December. Clemens is the Tigers’ No. 18 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. The team did not protect righty starter Paul Richan, their No. 25 prospect who

Spencer Turnbull doesn’t have any regrets about 2021. He learned from Detroit Tigers manager AJ Hinch and pitching coach Chris Fetter in spring training and built the confidence required to be a frontline starting pitcher. He finally improved his command and consistency, boasting a 2.88 ERA with 12 walks and 44 strikeouts. He also tossed the

The Detroit Tigers have already checked a few boxes on their offseason to-do list and made substantial upgrades, trading for catcher Tucker Barnhart and signing left-handed pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez to a five-year, $77 million contract. But there’s still a need at shortstop. On Thursday, Tigers manager AJ Hinch and shortstop Carlos Correa, who is expected

The Detroit Tigers know how beneficial the Rule 5 draft can be. Outfielder Akil Baddoo, the No. 3 overall pick in last year’s event, made the Opening Day roster, then worked his way up to being manager AJ Hinch’s leadoff hitter against right-handed pitchers and hit .259 with seven triples, 13 home runs, 55 RBIs and 18 stolen