Seeking to fortify their depth, the Detroit Tigers are adding a veteran infielder with nearly 700 career games under his belt.
According to the Detroit Newsâ Chris McCosky, the Tigers have signed utilityman Kevin Newman to a minor league deal.
The 32-year-old Newman will begin his Tigers tenure with Triple-A Toledo, where he started at shortstop on Saturday and went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI.
He was released by the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 2.
Why Did the Tigers Sign Kevin Newman?
Newman slashed .202/.209/.481 in 57 games with the Angels this season. He also had two home runs and 11 RBI.
Despite struggling at the plate, Newman is still versatile with his glove. Heâs played all over the infield this year, splitting time at third base (32 games), shortstop (14), second base (eight) and first base (two).
Once a highly regarded prospect, Newman has played for the Pittsburgh Pirates (2018-22), Cincinnati Reds (2023) and Arizona Diamondbacks (2024) in addition to Los Angeles. The eight-year MLB veteran has 562 hits (.259 average) and an .656 OPS in 672 games.
Newmanâs most productive season came in 2019 with Pittsburgh, when he batted .308 with 12 homers, 16 stolen bases and an .800 OPS.
While Newman doesnât have much power, he makes contact and grades as an above-average defender at multiple positions in the infield, making him a potentially valuable piece off the bench for one of MLB’s top teams.
How Can Kevin Newman Impact the Tigers?
The Tigers (78-53) have the American Leagueâs best record and an 11.5-game division lead, but they could still use help at shortstop.
Trey Sweeney, whoâs spent the majority of time there with Zach McKinstry bouncing around the infield, is hitting just .211 with a .595 OPS in 256 at-bats this season.
In 2024, Newman batted a respectable .278 with a .311 on-base percentage in Arizona and was worth seven Outs Above Average in the field, showing his value as a defender.
Newman is by no means guaranteed to wind up on Detroitâs major-league roster, but he could force the Tigersâ hand with a strong performance at Triple-A.
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