Detroit Tigers Sign Veteran Infielder Kevin Newman to Minor League Deal
The Detroit Tigers have the biggest division lead in all of baseball. The roster looks to be pretty much set for the rest of the season into the playoffs, as general manager Jeff Greenberg stated that top prospect, Kevin McGonigle, won't be making his debut this season.
The biggest hole for the Tigers has been at the shortstop position, where Trey Sweeney has gotten the majority of the work. In 95 games, the 25-year-old has a slashline of .211/.275/.320 with six home runs, a 65 OPS+ and -0.3 bWAR.
With the recent DFA of utility man Ryan Kreidler and All-Star Zach McKinstry bouncing around the diamond, that doesn't lead a whole lot of depth at short.
On Friday, Chris McCosky of Detroit News reported on X (formerly Twitter) that the Tigers had brought in Kevin Newman on a minor league deal.
Kevin Newman Will Start at Triple-A
Newman is an eight year MLB veteran and was once a well regarded, Top 100 prospect. His career has been full of ups and downs and he hasn't been able to find a place to stick since leaving the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2022.
The 32-year-old has had two seasons with a bWAR above 2.0, his second year in the league when he hit .308 in 130 games and last season, in 111 games with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Newman's 2024 saw him hit .278 with three home runs, but most of his value came from his defense. According to Baseball Savant, his Outs Above Overage was six, which is in the 91st percentile.
Since joining the Angels this season, he has regressed heavily. In 56 games, Newman has hit .202 with two home runs, a 33 OPS+ and -0.9 bWAR. He was released by Los Angeles on Aug. 2.
Newman will begin his Tigers tenure with Triple-A Toledo, where he started a shortstop and hit sixth for the Mud Hens on Friday. In his second at-bat, Newman smacked a double to left.
The signing is fresh, and there's no telling what Newman's future with the Tigers may hold. GIven his performance with the Angels, Detroit might want him to stay in Triple-A to get right at the plate. He has proven that he can hold his own on defense, even if his performance at the plate is below average.
With Sweeney having struggled all season, Newman could present a depth option for the Tigers moving forward. If anything, they can see what they have with him while he's at Triple-A. He may not move the needle, but Newman has the possibilty to make the Tigers this year.
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