Detroit Tigers trade Carson Kelly to Texas Rangers: What to know
Mark and Evan break down the latest trade of the Detroit Tigers, sending catcher Carson Kelly to the Texas Rangers for two minor leaguers.
The Detroit Tigers have traded catcher Carson Kelly to the Texas Rangers for two minor leaguers, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the agreement.
Kelly is hitting .240 with seven home runs, 17 walks and 40 strikeouts in 60 games. The 30-year-old becomes a free agent after the 2024 season, so he is a two-month rental for the Rangers.
In return, the Tigers received catcher Liam Hicks and right-hander Tyler Owens, according to a source. Of the two players, Owens is the better prospect and projects to be a solid reliever in the big leagues, with high-leverage upside.
MORE ABOUT HIM: How Tigers catcher Carson Kelly went from released to reliable in one year
Now that Kelly has been traded, the Tigers will promote catcher Dillon Dingler for his MLB debut, according to multiple sources. The 25-year-old, the No. 38 overall pick in the 2020 draft, is hitting .308 with 17 home runs, 30 walks and 61 strikeouts across 71 games in Triple-A Toledo.
The Tigers are rolling with Dingler and Jake Rogers as their catching tandem for the final two months of the 2024 season.
Hicks, 25, has a .260 batting average with four home runs, 41 walks and 44 strikeouts in 80 games in Double-A Frisco. He makes smart swing decisions and produces above-average contact rates, but the downside is poor contact quality. The poor contact quality likely holds him back from developing into a starter or a backup at the highest level, giving him Triple-A upside.
Owens, 23, owns a 2.80 ERA with nine walks and 35 strikeouts across 35⅓ innings in 26 relief appearances with Double-A Frisco. He should develop into a big-league reliever, but he could be a candidate to stretch out as a starter in the future if he improves against left-handed hitters.
As a reliever, though, Owens throws a fastball, slider and cutter. His fastball sits around 95 mph but has maxed out at 99 mph. More importantly, his fastball generates swings and misses.
Before the Rangers, Owens was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 13th round of the 2019 draft from Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala, Florida. The Braves traded him to the Rangers for center fielder J.P. Martinez in January 2024. Hicks, meanwhile, was drafted by the Rangers in the ninth round in 2021 out of Arkansas State University.
Trading Kelly to the Rangers — and getting two players in return, plus the bonus of promoting Dingler — is an organizational win for the Tigers, led by president of baseball operations Scott Harris.
Just 11 months ago, Kelly was released by the Arizona Diamondbacks before latching on with the Tigers. The Harris-led Tigers identified Kelly, signed Kelly and created a player plan to help him improve, both offensively and defensively.
Now, the Tigers have cashed in on their ability to develop Kelly into a quality all-around catcher by trading him for a pair of minor leaguers, including one with definite MLB upside.
Contact Evan Petzold at [email protected] or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
