As Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported, the Detroit Tigers will trade catcher Carson Kelly to the Texas Rangers. In return, the Tigers will receive catcher Liam Hicks and right-hander Tyler Owens.
We have acquired C Carson Kelly from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for minor leaguers C Liam Hicks and RHP Tyler Owens. pic.twitter.com/bZSMh9bdoa
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) July 29, 2024
Detroit signed Kelly last August after Arizona released the former top prospect after struggles and injuries derailed his career. Though he struggled to finish 2023, Kelly might represent the first developmental win for the new Tigers regime.
Texas Rangers Trade For Detroit Tigers Catcher Carson Kelly
However, Kelly has rebounded this season to hit .242/.327/.393 (106 wRC+) in 202 plate appearances. While these aren’t star-level numbers, anything close to league-average offense from a catcher is great in today’s game.
Scott Harris did a nice job with Carson Kelly.
Signed him off the scrap heap 4 days after the D-Backs released him last year and now he trades him to the Rangers and gets something.
His OPS went from .580 last year w/ Arizona to .720 this year.
Well done
Now bring on Dingler!
— Jeff Riger (@riger1984) July 28, 2024
His production looks even better when considering underlying metrics and his defense. The 30-year-old has made solid contact while not striking out or chasing pitches out of the zone too often. Plus, he has recorded two Defensive Runs Saved and ranks amongst baseball’s best in Blocks Above Average and Caught Stealing Above Average,
The Rangers will trade for Kelly hoping he can provide depth at the position and support 2023 All-Star Jonah Heim. Kelly thrived in a timeshare with Jake Rogers in Detroit, so he should adapt well in Texas in a similar role.
That said, Heim has struggled mightily this season (75 wRC+) and his backup has been even worse. The Rangers likely still like Heim’s long-term outlook, but the trade for Kelly should solidify a weak spot as the team desperately clings onto its postseason hopes.
Future Outlook in Detroit
Kelly represented one of multiple veteran right-handed bats that Detroit aims to trade before the deadline. These types of deals will allow the Tigers to look at younger players that could impact the franchise’s next winning era.
#Tigers trade catcher Carson Kelly to Rangers, opening spot for prospect Dillon Dingler https://t.co/5n1HYc9tmK
— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) July 28, 2024
For example, Evan Pretzold of the Detroit Free Press reports that the Tigers will promote prospect Dillon Dingler to replace Kelly. Dingler, 25, has hit .308/.379/.559 with 17 homers in 71 Triple-A games this season.
The former 38th overall pick of the 2020 MLB Draft could be the catcher of the future in Detroit. Following the trade of Kelly to the Rangers, Dingler should receive decent playing time down the stretch to ideally prepare him for a larger tryout in 2025.
Main Photo Credits: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
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