The Tigers have patched a hole in their catching depth chart by bringing in a familiar veteran with a long, winding baseball resume.
On Wednesday, Detroit signed Carlos Pérez to a minor league deal after losing Tomás Nido, who was released by the organization on Tuesday, according to Emily Waldon of Baseball America. The move gives the Tigers another experienced catcher in the system behind Dillon Dingler and Jake Rogers, a duo that has handled the big league job well this season.
Detroit’s catching situation had thinned out quickly. Eduardo Valencia got his brief opportunity while Dingler was dealing with an injury scare, but Eliezer Alfonzo chose free agency in the offseason and is now in the majors with the Dodgers. That left the organization looking for another option, and Pérez fits the bill as a veteran farmhand.
Pérez, 35, has appeared in 278 major league games from 2015 through 2023. He did not reach the majors at all from 2019 through 2022, and his most recent big league action came with the Athletics in 2023, when he hit .226 with a .650 OPS in 66 games.
His baseball journey has been a long one. Signed by the Blue Jays as an international free agent in 2008, Pérez was a top-10 prospect in 2011 and 2012. Toronto later traded him to the Astros in 2012 in the deal that also included JA Happ and Joe Musgrove, and he was then dealt to the Angels in 2014.
Pérez made his major league debut in 2015 and announced himself with a walk-off home run. Most of his MLB time came with the Angels in 2015 and 2016, before he was designated for assignment in 2018 to make room for Shohei Ohtani.
Since then, he has bounced through the Braves, Rangers, Orioles, A's, Rockies, A's again, Cubs, Astros again, and El Águila de Veracruz of the Mexican League before landing with Detroit. In Triple-A, he owns a .275/.349/.497 line, while his major league numbers sit at .218/.265/.327.
Nido’s exit came shortly after he returned from the injured list. In Toledo, he was hitting .236 with a .685 OPS, and he had gone 11 games with Detroit last year and hit .343 with a .704 OPS.
Pérez is unlikely to become a headline name if the Tigers need emergency catching help, but he gives the organization another experienced option in Toledo if Dingler or Rogers ever misses time.
In Other News...
Tarik Skubal Just Created A Brutal New Question For Tigers Fans
Tarik Skubals latest comments have turned what should have been a straightforward health update into something far more uneasy for Tigers fans. The left-hander said he felt discomfort in his elbow as early as January, but did not get an MRI, leaving Detroit with a messy backdrop around one of its most important players and a reminder that the offseason can carry as much tension as the games themselves.
Skubal also made clear the issue was not only physical, pointing to the arbitration process as part of why he handled the situation the way he did. And with his relationship with the front office already strained since that hearing, the Tigers are now left to sort through a question that goes beyond one elbow and into the bigger trust gap between ace and organization. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Fans May Not Like What This Means For Max Clark
Max Clark keeps doing enough in Triple-A to stay in the conversation, but not enough to force the Tigers hand just yet. The top prospect has put together a solid line with power and speed, showing the kind of all-around profile that makes him such a tempting long-term answer in the outfield, even if the organization is still weighing the timing of his next step carefully.
For now, the more likely path is patience, with Detroit able to let the season breathe a little longer before making a move. Clark could still get there sooner if his production takes another jump or if the roster situation changes, but the current read is that the Tigers may prefer to wait until September unless circumstances push them in a different direction. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Suddenly Face A Risky Deadline Question In Center Field
With the Tigers still in the thick of the playoff race, center field has become one of the more obvious places for a deadline upgrade. Detroit has gotten by with Matt Vierling and James Outman out there, but the position has not exactly looked settled, and that makes any credible option worth a closer look as the market starts to take shape.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic floated New York Mets outfielder Luis Robert Jr. as a possible fit, a suggestion that makes some baseball sense even with the injury concerns attached to his season. Robert has long shown he can handle left-handed pitching, and for a club trying to patch a real need without boxing itself into a long commitment, that kind of profile is easy to understand, even if the price and the health questions still leave plenty unresolved. [Read more 🡒]