The Detroit Tigers didn’t insert a big-name bat into their lineup.
But they added three important role players.
The Tigers traded left-handed reliever Gregory Soto — a two-time All-Star — and utility player Kody Clemens to the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday for three position players: Matt Vierling, Nick Maton and Donny Sands.
At the beginning of the offseason, Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said he would prioritize finding a right-handed hitting outfielder and a left-handed hitting infielder.
“These players certainly are capable of performing in those roles,” Harris said Saturday. “We think there’s more in there for all three of these players, so I wouldn’t limit their upside to the roles that I articulated earlier in the offseason. We’re looking forward to seeing what they can do in Lakeland.”
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All three young players have performed at the Triple-A level, while two of them have made noteworthy MLB contributions. Vierling and Maton, under team control through the 2027 season, have one minor-league option remaining, while Sands is under team control through 2028 and has two options remaining.
Vierling, a right-handed hitting outfielder with limited reps at three infield positions, is believed to have the most upside among the group. Maton, a left-handed hitter, can play several positions on the field, both in the outfield and infield. Sands, a right-handed hitting catcher, has the least MLB experience but has succeeded at the Triple-A level.
Both Verling and Maton played in the Phillies’ six-game World Series loss last season.
“I think Matt and Nick are going to play all over,” Harris said. “One theme that you’re going to see in Lakeland is we’re going to get guys reps all over the diamond. These players have a head start because they’ve already done it in the big leagues.”
All three players control the strike zone, essentially the opposite of what the Tigers received from their main role players (Willi Castro, Harold Castro and Victor Reyes) over the past several years. Those three position players were cut after the 2022 season.
Now, manager A.J. Hinch has new options to create a plethora of lineup combinations against the opposing pitcher. Playing time is certainly up for grabs, but it’s unclear if Vierling, Maton or Sands will develop into everyday players.
That’s part of the risk.
“This trade is a variant of one of those calculated risks that I talked about,” Harris said. “You’re never entirely confident that young players are going to hit in the big leagues, but you’re a little more confident when you’ve seen flashes of them performing in the big leagues already.”
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Vierling, 26, played 117 games for the Phillies last season and hit .246 with six home runs, 23 walks (6.4% walk rate) and 70 strikeouts (19.6% strikeout rate). Most of his production — a .295 batting average — occurred against left-handed pitchers. He could platoon with Akil Baddoo or Kerry Carpenter in the outfield.
Vierling provides an above-average contact rate and top-tier raw power, but his power hasn’t translated to games despite an uptick in fly-ball rate. His hard-hit rates are significantly higher on contact to left field and center field over the past two seasons, compared to that of the opposite field.
His sprint speed ranked in the 97th percentile last season — another skill to monitor moving forward — but he has just nine stolen bases in 13 attempts during his MLB career.
“He has a track record of controlling the strike zone,” Harris said. “We also think that he brings some athleticism, versatility and speed that can really enhance our overall offensive unit in 2023. We also think the speed component may be of greater importance in the new rules (bigger bases), so it’s nice to add a little bit more speed to our offense.”
The Phillies drafted Vierling in the fifth round out of Notre Dame in 2018. He has played 77 games for Triple-A Lehigh over the past two seasons, hitting .254 with seven homers, 34 walks and 61 strikeouts.
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Maton, who turns 26 in February, took the field for the Phillies in 86 games over the past two seasons, hitting .254 with seven homers, 20 walks (9.3% walk rate) and 68 strikeouts (31.5% strikeout rate). In the majors, he has hit .233 against right-handed pitchers.
At the Triple-A level, he added a .230 batting average with 10 homers, 72 walks and 115 strikeouts in 121 games over the past two seasons.
“(He) is another versatile position player who has a history of controlling the zone,” Harris said. “He has already hit right-handed pitching in the big leagues. He has a track record of hitting right-handed pitching throughout his professional career. And he feels comfortable on the grass and in the dirt.”
After the 2022 All-Star break, Maton showed changes to his swing mechanics. He lowered his hands and crouched more in his stance. As a result, he launched three homers in 38 at-bats for the Phillies in September. The Tigers took notice of his adjustment.
“That’s really impressive,” Harris said. “If you can find hitters that can make adjustments in the season and adjust to what the pitchers are trying to do to them and still perform, that is something that we’re looking for in this organization.”
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What makes Maton special is that he can play several positions. Last season, he started eight games in right field, seven games at second base, four games in left field, two games at shortstop and one game at third base for the Phillies. He primarily played shortstop in the minor leagues.
Adding Maton’s utility profile to the roster gives the Tigers three options for third base on the Opening Day roster, along with 25-year-olds Ryan Kreidler and Tyler Nevin. The Tigers acquired Nevin from the Baltimore Orioles in a New Year’s Eve trade.
Harris expects both Vierling and Maton to factor into the mix at third base, but Maton is the only left-handed hitter in that group.
“When you watch Nick take ground balls on the dirt, it’s easy, it’s fluid actions,” Harris said. “He has plenty of arm (strength) to make plays deep in the hole, which makes us feel like he’s going to be comfortable at third and everywhere else.”
Maton’s swing-and-miss rate, 35.4% last season, is a concerning aspect of his game. The Phillies selected him in the seventh round of the 2017 draft from Lincoln Land Community College.
Sands, 26, provides more catching depth at the upper levels of the minor leagues, along with Mario Feliciano, Andrew Knapp, Michael Papierski and Julio E. Rodriguez. The Tigers have two catchers — Eric Haase and Jake Rogers — on the 40-man roster.
The Phillies acquired Sands in November 2021 from the New York Yankees. The Yankees selected Sands in the eighth round of the 2015 draft from Salpointe High School in Tucson, Arizona. He ranked as the Phillies’ No. 21 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.
Sands made his MLB debut and played three games for the Phillies in 2022. He remains in search of his first big-league hit but has collected many minor-league hits along the way. Last season, he hit .309 with five homers, 38 walks (15.7% walk rate) and 44 strikeouts (18.2% strikeout rate) in 57 games for Triple-A Lehigh.
“We really like his ability to help our pitchers in the strike zone,” Harris said. “We really think that he’s going to be a strong defensive catcher for us. … We’re going to get him behind the plate as much as we can because we think he can help get the most out of our pitchers.”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.