The Detroit Tigers signed two players today. The weird part: they’re actually recognizable major leaguers: C.J. Cron and Jonathan Schoop, both of whom played for the Twins last year. I wasn’t sure the Tigers signed actual big leaguers anymore -- their tank job has been one of the more anonymously-staffed numbers in recent memory -- but weird things happen every day.
Cron was non-tendered for the second straight year in a row, last year by the Rays, this year by the Twins. In 2019 the nearly 30-year-old first baseman hit .253/.311/.469 with 25 homers and 78 driven in. While that’s not a great line for a contender, it would’ve made him the second-best hitter on the Tigers last year after Nicholas Castellanos. There’s no reason why he shouldn’t be Detroit’s everyday first baseman in 2020. He’ll make $6.1 million this year. Last year he made $4.8 million for the Twins.
Schoop -- also late of the Twins -- had a nearly identical batting line to Cron: .256/.304/.473 while covering second base in 113 contests. Again, the Tigers have themselves a starter given the dearth of players on Schoop’s level at the moment. And while his batting line was just nearly identical to Cron’s, his salary -- $6.1 million -- will be literally identical.
The Tigers aren’t gonna win a lot of games next season, but they definitely improved themselves with these two signings.
