The Detroit Tigers have reportedly made a decision on Carson Kelly for next season.
With the Major League Baseball offseason in full swing, Detroit Tigers‘ President of Baseball Operations, Scott Harris, has started the process of assembling the team for next year’s Spring Training. One of the reported moves is retaining catcher , whom they claimed off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks in August.
Kelly came to Detroit via waivers
The Tigers were in need of depth at the catching position following their decision to part ways with Eric Haase, who subsequently joined the division rival Cleveland Guardians. When the Diamondbacks waived Kelly, Detroit acted swiftly and acquired him. While with the Tigers, Kelly batted .173 and successfully threw out six of 12 base-stealers.
According to reports this afternoon, the Tigers are picking up his option for next season that carries a $3.5 million price tag.
Harris had the following to say when it came to Kelly’s club option last week:
“It’s very much an open decision or open question for us,” Harris said. “Whatever we end up with as a catching unit, a huge priority for us is going to be how they manage the staff, how they call games and how they make adjustments to what hitters are trying to do.”
TL;DR (too long didn’t read)
- The Detroit Tigers acquired catcher Carson Kelly off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks last season.
- Today, the Tigers announced their decision to exercise his $3.5 million club option for the 2024 MLB season.
- In the final 18 games of the 2023 season, Kelly batted .173 and effectively threw out six of 12 base-stealers.
Bottom Line: How will Kelly perform in 2024?
At present, the Tigers’ catching depth chart has Jake Rogers in the top spot as the primary catcher, followed by Kelly as the backup, and prospect Dillon Dingler continuing his development in Triple-A Toledo with the Mud Hens.
How will Kelly perform in his first full campaign with the Tigers in 2024?
