of Detroit Tigers Traded a catcher Carson Kelly The deal comes in exchange for two minor leaguers who were traded to the Texas Rangers, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the deal.
Kelly has appeared in 60 games, batting .240 with seven home runs, 17 walks and 40 strikeouts. The 30-year-old Kelly will become a free agent after the 2024 season, so he will be a two-month rental for the Rangers.
Instead, the Tigers acquired a catcher. Liam Hicks right handed Tyler OwensAccording to sources, Owens has performed well in the major leagues since 2014. Of the two, Owens is seen as the more promising player, with the potential to be a consistent relief pitcher in the major leagues and with great potential.
More about him:How Tigers catcher Carson Kelly became a reliable catcher one year after being fired
With Kelly traded, the Tigers will likely promote a catcher. Dillon Dingler He finished the 2019 season with his MLB debut, according to multiple sources. The 25-year-old, the 38th overall pick in the 2020 draft, has appeared in 71 games with Triple-A Toledo, batting .308 with 17 home runs, 30 walks and 61 strikeouts.
The Tigers are with Dingler Jake Rogers He will join the team as the catching duo for the final two months of the 2024 season.
Hicks, 25, is batting .260 with four homers, 41 walks and 44 strikeouts in 80 games with Double-A Frisco. He makes smart swing decisions and boasts an above-average contact rate, but his poor contact quality is a liability. That could limit his development into a top-tier starter or backup, but he could be promoted to Triple-A.
Owens, 23, has a 2.80 ERA with nine walks and 35 strikeouts in 35⅓ innings across 26 relief appearances for Double-A Frisco. He should develop as a major league reliever, but if his batting average against lefty batters improves, he could have a shot at being a starter down the line.
But as a reliever, Owens throws a fastball, a slider and a cutter. His fastball sits around 95 mph, but has topped out at 99 mph. And more importantly, his fastball induces strikeouts.
Prior to joining the Rangers, Owens was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 13th round of the 2019 draft out of Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala, Florida. The Braves traded Owens to the Rangers in January 2024 for center fielder JP Martinez, while Hicks was drafted by the Rangers in the ninth round in 2021 out of Arkansas State University.
Trading Kelly to the Rangers and getting two players in return, plus the bonus of promoting Dingler, is an organizational win for the Tigers, led by president of baseball operations Scott Harris.
Just 11 months ago, Kelly He was released by the Arizona Diamondbacks and then traded to the Tigers.Harris’ Tigers drafted Kelly and signed him. We created a player plan to improve both offensively and defensively..
Now, the Tigers have taken advantage of Kelly’s ability to develop into a good all-around catcher by trading him for two minor leaguers, including one who is sure to have a shot at the major leagues.
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