Jahmai Jones is getting another crack in the big leagues, and this time it comes with the Boston Red Sox.
The Tigers sent Jones to Boston on Tuesday, with the deal bringing back a player to be named later, according to the Boston Globe. Jones had been designated for assignment by Detroit last week after the club needed a roster move to cover for catcher Dillon Dingler, who is dealing with a hand injury. The Tigers called up Eduardo Valencia from Triple-A Toledo and moved on from Jones.
Detroit manager AJ Hinch had already signaled that he expected Jones to resurface quickly.
"I still believe in him. I think he's going to land on his feet. We will see him in the big leagues again."
Jones, 28, has bounced around the majors with the Angels, Orioles, Brewers and Yankees, and now he’ll have to stick on Boston’s active roster because he is out of minor-league options.
For the Tigers, Jones’ exit closes the book on a player who was a useful piece in 2025 but never found that same rhythm this season. He was used mostly as a designated hitter and pinch-hitter, often against left-handed pitching, and the results split sharply from one year to the next.
Last season, Jones hit .287/.387/.550 in 150 plate appearances, with seven home runs and 32 strikeouts. This year, he managed just .137/.219/.221 in 105 plate appearances, with two home runs and 35 strikeouts.
Hinch described the challenge of Jones’ role and how quickly it can turn.
"It's a tough role," Hinch said of Jones. "The upside of it, you are often the hero and are looked at as an instrumental part of the strategy.
Dating to last year, he delivered time and time again. ... This season, he had a hard time either getting on the fastball or sitting off-speed.
He found himself a lot of times in between and the at-bats got less productive and he just looked less and less comfortable.
"When that happens, because you are always in the game in the big moments and big situations against high-end relievers, it just piled up on him and we couldn't get him out of the hole.
"I still believe in him. I think he's going to land on his feet. We will see him in the big leagues again."
Now Boston gets the chance to see whether Jones can do exactly that.
In Other News...
Tigers Just Sent Jahmai Jones Into A Wild Card Race
Jahmai Jones time in Detroit had been trending toward a reset for a while, and the Tigers finally made it official by moving on from the utility option as they continue trying to sort out the edges of a roster still chasing relevance. Detroit is under .500, but the front office is clearly still thinking about the bigger picture, and even a small transaction like this can matter when a club is trying to stay afloat in the race and trim away pieces that no longer fit.
The return is modest, as these deals often are, but the timing says plenty about where the Tigers are right now. Jones had already been designated for assignment last week, and his struggles at the plate had become part of the calculus, especially against left-handed pitching. For a team trying to keep one eye on the standings and one eye on the roster, the move opens another small question about how aggressive Detroit wants to be as the season tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Just Took A Late Round Arm Fans Will Want To Watch
The Tigers added another late-round arm in the 2026 MLB Draft, taking Delaware State right-hander Michael Lane after a season that put him on the radar for a reason. Lanes profile is built around swing-and-miss stuff, and he gave scouts plenty to note by leading the Northeast Conference in called strikeouts while finishing near the top of the league in total strikeouts.
For Detroit, it is the kind of pick that fits the drafts back end: a pitcher with real bat-missing ability and room to be developed. Lanes season was not spotless, but the strikeout numbers stood out enough to keep his name in the conversation, and now the Tigers get a chance to see whether that foundation can translate into something more in pro ball. [Read more 🡒]