With the end of the World Series comes the official start of baseball’s offseason, and the Detroit Tigers got that underway with a handful of roster moves on Thursday.
Shortstop Brent Dlugach looked like he could be a part of the mix at that position this season, but regressed with Triple-A Toledo (batting .258) and was never in consideration. The Tigers traded him to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.
Also removed from the 40-man roster were pitchers Eddie Bonine and Jay Sborz, outfielder Jeff Frazier and catcher Max St. Pierre, all of whom were outrighted to Toledo. That makes them eligible for free agency. Bonine opted to become a free agent immediately, while the other three have until November 6 to decide.
Bonine was in the Tigers’ bullpen for the entire season, after bouncing between Detroit and Toledo the previous two years. He began the season as a dependable long reliever, compiling a 4-0 record and 2.81 record in the first half. After that, however, Bonine became extremely hittable. Opposing lineups batted 395 against him, while he posted a 7.52 ERA and gave up 47 hits in 26 1/3 innings.
St. Pierre was a nice story late in the season when he was finally called up to the majors after toiling in the minors for 14 years. He appeared in six games, notching two hits in nine at-bats.
Sborz looked like a reliever who could help the Tigers at some point, but his lone appearance in the majors was disastrous. In two-thirds of an inning against the Minnesota Twins in late June, he gave up five runs on three hits.
Frazier appeared in nine games with Detroit as an outfielder and designated hitter, compiling a .217 batting average.