Detroit Tigers agree to terms with two international players – MLB News
Detroit Tigers are one of the favourites to win the World Series title this season. General Manager Dave Dombrowski has made some great moves in the last couple of months to power Tigers hitting line-up. Last season, the Tigers were outstanding during the regular season to secure the American League Central title. However, the batting line-up failed miserably in the playoffs to disappoint the fans.
According to sources, the Tigers are one of the few teams who have shown interest in signing on a free agent. Yoenis Cespedes, the Cuban outfielder, is one of the hottest imports of the season and the Tigers are reported to be in talks with him. However, the team hasn’t announced an official deal as yet. Although, the Tigers may have lost their interest in Cespedes, they have signed on two other international players last week to strengthen their pitching unit.
One of the two international signees is the 22-year-old Australian pitcher Warwick Saupold. The starter made the most of his opportunities in the Australian Winter League season with an impressive 1.41 ERA in 10 starts. Playing for the Perth Heats, he restricted the opponents to a .173 batting average to win the league’s Pitcher of the Year Award.
The other signee is the 16-year-old Dominican Republic outfielder Ignacio Valdez. Although his contract is still pending a couple of items, he is expected to be on Tigers’ final roster. Valdez is young but he has shown glimpses of his immense potential in last couple of years. He will be hoping to live up to the expectations to become a permanent member of one of the strongest clubs in business.
According to a leading sports website, the Tigers had been watching Valdez closely throughout the Dominican Republic League. Considering his sensational hitting abilities, Dombrowski decided to offer him a $260,000 contract, which Valdez accepted. Tigers’ players are expected to report to Lakeland on February 20. Both Valdez and Saupold will have an excellent opportunity to impress manager Jim Leyland and GM Dombrowski during Spring Training. If the two players can perform consistently, they can also earn other bonuses and incentives.
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