Chace

Numata

Police found Numata early last Friday morning in Erie, Pennsylvania, the home of the Tigers’ Double-A affiliate. Numata, 27, was originally drafted by the Phillies and also played in the Yankees’ minor league system before joining the Tigers organization this past season. In the wake of the tragic news, the Tigers said in a statement Monday that the Pearl City, Hawaii native “was beloved by many from our Major League club through all levels of our player development system.”

The 26-year-old spent the 2018 campaign in the Yankees’ organization, where he slashed .200/.257/.303 with one homer and 16 RBI in 54 games across four minor league levels. He’ll add minor league catching depth for the Tigers.

Numata batted just .249/.318/.351 with four home runs and 28 RBI in 84 games this summer for the Double-A affiliate of the Phillies. The 25-year-old catcher is nothing more than minor league depth for the Yankees.