Matt

Tuiasosopo

Tuiasosopo has hung up his cleats at age 32 after spending the 2018 season in independent ball. A former third-round pick of the Mariners, he appeared in 155 major league games and batted .206/.288/.353.

It’s not clear if he’ll receive a spring training invite. Tuiasosopo has batted only .176/.234/.306 across 210 career plate appearances and hit just .226 with a .735 OPS in 116 games this past season at Triple-A Tacoma. He’s turn only 26 in May, though, and was a decent prospect at one time. The odds are long that he’ll win a roster spot.

It’s not clear if the deal includes a spring training invite. Tuiasosopo, 26, batted .242/.329/.361 with 12 homers, 57 RBI and a .690 OPS in 131 games this season with the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate. He will likely serve as organizational depth for the Tigers in 2013.

Yes, that’s just as screwed up as it sounds. Tuiasosopo only starts against lefties, but he entered the day 6-for-14 with two homers and two doubles against right-handed pitchers this year. Yet for some reason manager Jim Leyland thought a .213-hitting Don Kelly was a better option against Jose Veras in the ninth inning. Kelly grounded out, and the Tigers went on to lose.

The Tigers are calling it mild, so he should be considered day-to-day. Andy Dirks replaced Tuiasosopo in left field.

He could be out longer than the minimum 15 days. Avisail Garcia has taken Tuiasosopo’s spot on the roster.

Tuiasosopo, a non-roster invitee, is hitting .327 (16-for-49) with four home runs, six doubles and 10 RBI this spring. The 26-year-old function as a utility player and right-handed bat off the bench.

Tuiasosopo was mostly written off for a couple of years ago, and if not for the World Baseball Classic taking several players away, one imagines he would have disappeared from Tigers camp without much of a trace. However, after an 0-for-13 start, he’s suddenly gone 9-for-19 with four doubles and two homers since March 4. With the Tigers still in search of a right-handed bat for the bench, Tuiasosopo now has a legitimate chance of making the team.

Tuiasosopo, who entered spring training as a non-roster invitee, went 2-for-5 on the evening. His two-run single capped off a four-run third inning against starter Paul Maholm, and he added a three-run bomb off Anthony Varvaro in the fourth. He’s certainly made the most of his limited playing time, hitting .318/.423/.500 with six RBI on the young season.

A non-roster invite, Tuiasosopo made the Tigers by hitting .283 (17-for-60) with four home runs, six doubles and 10 RBI this spring. Strictly a utility player, he should continue to be ignored him in all fantasy formats.