Detroit Tigers Offseason Signing in Lineup for Their Opening Spring Training Game
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The Detroit Tigers have had a relatively intriguing offseason ahead of the 2025 season, being somewhat quiet at times but then bringing in some quality talent to fill out the lineup. Among those bigger-name signings is one who was brought in as a depth option, but may be working to try and make the roster at this point, outfielder Jahmai Jones.
Jones was signed back in November to a minor-league contract, having played for the New York Yankees most recently in 2024 and multiple other teams prior. One of the most intriguing parts of his game last year was that he began developing at multiple positions, having played in left field, right field, second base and third base in 33 games for the Yankees.
Now, Jones will be a part of the lineup as spring training ramps up, with the 27-year-old utilityman being named the starting left fielder in the first game of February for the Tigers.
We’re back! pic.twitter.com/lrEDv0NYBA
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) February 22, 2025
He is among some other compelling names who Detroit wants to get a look at, which indicates they may be considering Jones as one of their bench options heading into the season. With both left and right field filled by Riley Greene and Matt Vierling respectively, his options are fairly limited, though he does have room to make it as the fourth outfielder if he performs well during the spring.
2024 was one of the better chances he got at playing time in the MLB, playing 33 games for New York with 42 at-bats, accruing .238/.304/.685 batting splits with four RBI, eight runs, 16 strikeouts to two walks, and a stolen base.
While this is not enormously impressive by any means, he was strong in the field, playing 43 innings in the outfield with 11 putouts to only one error, good for a .917 fielding rate. Additionally, at second and third base he had no errors, five putouts, eight assists, and a double play turned.
However, in AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he hit very well, with .304/.390/.880 batting splits, alongside 16 RBI, 22 runs, 25 strikeouts to 11 walks, and 10 stolen bases in 102 at bats across 34 games. This type of production has given him another opportunity, and if he is unable to make the initial roster, he may be able to work his way up from the minor leagues instead.
This type of versatility is impressive and useful for an MLB team to utilize, which may be why he is getting running time among the other players vying for roster spots for the Tigers. It will be interesting to see if he is able to get more playing time throughout the spring to make his case for opening day.
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Jeremy Trottier started his writing journey with WBLZ Media, and has worked through multiple publications with 247Sports, USA Today, Fansided, SBNation and others. He is an avid fan of motorsports and most sports in general, and has completed a degree in sports management to further understand the sports industry. During his time with sports media, he has been credentialed for coverage of Boston College sports, and can often be found attending their football and basketball games as well as expected coverage of their men’s soccer team in the near future. Sports are a large part of his life and career, as he looks to pursue a full time role within the industry someday.