Tigers Add Lefty Pitching Prospect to Complete Jahmai Jones Trade with Red Sox
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With the Detroit Tigers potentially on the verge of bolstering their farm system with top prospects at the MLB trade deadline, the club has already begun the process of adding young talent.
Well, sort of.
Before the Tigers' front office gets to work on any other trades, they took care of a bit of business on Saturday by closing the book on their trade of Jahmai Jones to the Boston Red Sox, announcing the addition of left-handed pitching prospect Jojo Ingrassia as the player to be named later in the July 14 deal.
Who is Jojo Ingrassia?
There is unlikely to be much excitement in Detroit over a newly-turned 24-year-old who still hasn't played above high A-ball, but Ingrassia still has some potential upside that is worth exploring - both as a relief pitcher and as a possible starter.
Ingrassia has spent the past three seasons in the minors following a three-year NCAA career, balancing out 23 starts with 15 relief appearances. This season, the Red Sox have focused on his growth as a starter, giving him the ball in 11 of his 13 appearances while he's amassed a 2-1 record with a 3.27 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 44 innings.
It is unknown at this time whether the Tigers intend to continue Ingrassia's Boston-led development as a starting pitcher, or if they prefer him as a bullpen arm. Of course, there is also value in a versatile player who can serve as a starter but also doesn't mind getting called into pitch without much notice.
While Ingrassia still has upside as a potential major league starter or reliever one day, it's understandable why the Red Sox made him available to Detroit. The 6-0, 170-pound lefty lacks prototypical size in spite of his impressive strikeout rate. Still pitching in High-A ball, he is now considerably older than many of his contemporaries, which can be attributed to stalled development related to shoulder, elbow and rotator cuff injuries.
Ingrassia joins the organization with a pre-existing link to the club. He and breakout starter Troy Melton spent two seasons as teammates at San Diego State before Ingrassia transferred to Cal State Fullerton, where he served as the school's closer.
Now, Ingrassia remains a ways away from joining Melton on the Tigers' big league roster. He is expected to begin his tenure with the West Michigan Whitecaps of the Midwest League (High-A). Detroit fans might remember that Skubal suited up for the Whitecaps during his lone rehab start post-elbow surgery, tossing five scoreless, two-hit innings while striking out six.
The Jones trade that landed Ingrassia may have appeared - at least on the surface - to be the first sign of the Tigers' intent to be sellers at the trade deadline. It's worth remembering, though, that the 28-year-old outfielder was borderline unplayable, slashing .137/.219/.440. Since then, he has looked revitalized in Boston, mashing .385/.467/1.467 as part of the Red Sox surge.
Who knows, maybe Ingrassia will enjoy the same type of change-of-scenery benefit now that he's in Motown.
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Ben Fisher is a long-time sportswriter and baseball lover, dating back to 2008, when he was a member of the media relations team for the Toronto Blue Jays. He has covered a wide range of sports for a seemingly endless array of publications, including The Canadian Press, Fansided and The Hockey Writers. When he isn't writing about sports, he can be found coaching his equally baseball-obsessed sons' Little League teams.