The Detroit Tigers recently finalized a deal with former New York Yankees catcher Austin Romine. Of course, the name will sound familiar to fans – he and slugger Miguel Cabrera brawled in a 2017 game, leading to both benches clearing.
However, according to Romine, there aren’t any lingering bitter feelings between the two, and that he’s excited to play with him.
“There are no hard feelings,” Romine said Friday via conference call with Detroit media. “I feel like baseball takes care of itself. That was just two guys out there protecting their team. You move on.”
Romine said he was “excited to work with one of the best hitters of our generation and hopefully learn from him.”
Last year with the Yankees, Romine put up a .281 BA with eight home runs and a .748 OPS in 72 games. He was drawn to the Tigers with the opportunity to play more and to hopefully put up similar numbers.
“The opportunity definitely stood out for me,” he said. “If you do well, you can play a little bit more.”
Though leaving a stacked team like the Yankees was a difficult choice, he believes it was the best decision for him and his family.
“That was tough,” he said. “I wanted to make sure I made the best decision for my family and me moving forward.”
