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Detroit Tigers Reportedly Sign David Lough to Minors Deal
Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila has reportedly added another outfield option. Per the latest tweet from ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, the Tigers have signed David Lough to a minors deal.
Detroit Tigers fans will see the most change in center field next season.
After an offseason that saw players like Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler and J.D. Martinez mentioned in trade rumors, only one significant player was traded.
That would be Cameron Maybin, who was flipped to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for pitching prospect Victor Alcantara.
As it stands, Detroit has plenty of potential options to replace the former first-round pick.
The three most prominent candidates are Mikie Mahtook, Tyler Collins and JaCoby Jones.
What’s more, non-roster invitees Juan Perez, Alex Presley and Jason Krizan could all play a role as well. While not candidates to play in center field full-time, Andrew Romine and Justin Upton could conceivably see a handful of starts at the position.
According to the latest tweet from ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, Detroit has reportedly added another outfielder to the organization.
Crasnick tweeted on Tuesday afternoon, “OF David Lough has reached agreement on a minor league deal with the #Tigers.”
Lough originally made his Major League debut with the Kansas City Royals in 2012.
A former 11th-round draft pick of the American League Central franchise, the outfielder would appear in 116 games for the Royals before spending two seasons in Baltimore.
The 31-year-old appeared in 30 games for the Philadelphia Phillies last season. He could eventually contribute in center field for Detroit.
All told, Lough is a lifetime .254 hitter with a wRC+ of 75. His best season came in 2013 with Kansas City. Over the course of 96 contests during that campaign, the veteran turned in a .286 batting average and a .724 OPS.
He also chipped in with 35 runs scored, 33 RBI, 17 doubles, five home runs, five stolen bases and four triples. In the process, the outfielder finished eighth in Rookie of the Year voting.
Potential Role with the Detroit Tigers
Ideally, Lough would spend time in a platoon.
The ex-Royal is a .239 career hitter against left-handed pitching. What’s more, his on-base percentage and slugging percentage against southpaws sit at just .280 and .339 respectively.
All told, those numbers pale somewhat in comparison to the veteran’s line against right-handed pitching.
Jul 2, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles left fielder David Lough (9) dives to catch Texas Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos (61) (not pictured) fly ball in the eighth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
In his career versus righties, Lough owns a .256 batting average, a .303 on-base percentage and a .377 slugging percentage.
The veteran could bring value as a potential bench bat for the Tigers after a season in which the team didn’t always get the best offensive production from the bench outfielders.
Versatile Defender
Since debuting with Kansas City, Lough has seen significant time at all three outfield spots. Encouragingly, the former Phillies player has posted solid numbers at all three positions.
In 822 lifetime games in left field, the 31-year-old owns a DRS of 21, a UZR of 13.3 and a UZR.150 of 22.2.
Over the span of 709.2 frames in right field, Lough’s DRS, UZR and UZR/150 stats check in at eight, 7.8 and 14.9 respectively.
As a Major League center fielder (347 innings), the outfielder has posted a DRS of 2, a UZR of 4.6 and a UZR/150 of 18.9.
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