The Detroit Tigers have dipped into the trade market early, landing infielder Tsung-Che Cheng from the Boston Red Sox for cash considerations, according to Andrew Parker of Sox Prospects, with Chris Cotillo confirming the deal.
Cheng is headed to Detroit with fellow Taiwanese infielder Hao-Yu Lee, and he gives the Tigers another left-handed option in the middle infield. The 25-year-old has a little major league experience and is viewed as a solid shortstop. The move also helps Boston, whose 40-man roster was becoming crowded.
Detroit’s roster situation is tight as well. The Tigers have eight players due to be added back to the 40-man roster from the 60-day injured list, so this is as much about creating breathing room and sorting through options as it is about the player coming in.
The idea appears to be building depth at shortstop beyond Kevin McGonigle, with John Peck providing a right-handed bat and Cheng bringing a left-handed one. If this affects anyone on the Tigers, the most likely name is Trey Sweeney.
Cheng’s path to Detroit has been a winding one. He signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates as a 19-year-old international free agent for $380,000 in 2019, was later released by Pittsburgh last offseason, then landed with the Washington Nationals before being placed on waivers and claimed by Boston.
There is some appeal in his skill set. Cheng has speed, can handle an average major league shortstop, and has also logged time at second base with a little third base experience mixed in.
The swing-and-miss is the issue. He struck out 23.8 percent of the time in Triple-A last year, though he also drew walks at a 13.5 percent clip in 2026 at Triple-A and posted solid chase rates.
The bat still needs work if he is going to become more than a fringe platoon piece, but the Tigers may believe there’s something they can unlock.
For now, it reads as a depth move. Cheng is out of options and not a major name, and it would not be a surprise if he eventually gets waived before the offseason is over.
Still, Detroit clearly wanted another body in the shortstop mix, especially with Sweeney recovering from major shoulder surgery and limited depth behind McGonigle and Peck. And there’s at least a small comfort factor here too: Cheng and Hao-Yu Lee were teammates on Chinese Taipei’s 2019 World Champion U-18 WBSC team.
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