Can Former Detroit Tigers Catcher Land Multi-Year Deal on Free Agent Market?
The Detroit Tigers moved a lot of players ahead of the 2024 MLB trade deadline as they were clear sellers.
No one could have predicted how things would go the remainder of the season, as the team got hot and went on a torrid pace. Staring down a double-digit deficit in the standings to makeup, the Tigers overcame the odds to earn the second wild card spot in the American League.
Detroit is now set to be buyers in free agency as they look to upgrade their roster to become a perennial playoff team and eventually an AL contender. Some of the players whom they traded away could be seen as fits.
Starting pitcher Jack Flaherty has been the most popular player they traded in rumors. He could be the top five of pitchers on many team’s boards this offseason with import Roki Sasaki, Corbin Burnes of the Baltimore Orioles, Max Fried of the Atlanta Braves and Blake Snell of the San Francisco Giants being up there as well.
Another former Tigers player who is flying under the radar is catcher Carson Kelly. He was traded to the Texas Rangers in exchange for minor league catcher/first baseman Liam Hicks and right-handed pitcher Tyler Owens.
On the season, he produced a slash line of .238/.313/.374 with nine doubles, nine home runs and one triple. He knocked in 37 runs and several parts of his game are average-to-above-average.
That could be enough for him to land a multi-year deal in free agency this winter. Kiley McDaniel of ESPN shared a projection that Kelly would receive a two-year, $17.5 million deal.
That AAV of $8.75 million would place him well inside the top 10 in baseball.
“Kelly showed this season he has the elements for above-league-average hitting (he fell 1% short this year, but was hit unlucky) and is already a solid-average defender at catcher. He's a slightly speculative candidate for a multiyear deal as it requires believing better ball in play luck and regular playing time will reveal a clear everyday catcher from someone who has shown that ability at times in the past.”
There have been bright spots throughout his career. In 2019, he hit a career-high 19 home runs in only 314 at-bats. He has recorded an on-base percentage of at least .343 twice in his career.
As McDaniel stated, there is certainly some intrigue and untapped potential for a team to coax out of him. Still in the prime of his career, a second or third year could be what separates one team's offer from another, swaying the former second-round pick to their franchise.
Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.