The Detroit Tigers added to their pitching Monday, signing Tyson Ross to a one-year deal. Ross joins the Tigers after appearing in 31 games in 2018 with the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals.
Detroit shared the announcement of Ross’ signing on Twitter while Ken Rosenthal reported the deal is worth $5.75 million:
The #Tigers announced today that the club has agreed to terms with RHP Tyson Ross on a one-year Major League contract. pic.twitter.com/0tpC1TLJVK
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) December 11, 2018
Tyson Ross Signs With Detroit Tigers
Like Matt Moore before him, Ross is coming off a couple of rough seasons and represents low-risk innings for a rebuilding club. After two injury-plagued seasons, Ross was finally healthy last season, pitching to a 4.15 ERA in 31 games (23 starts) between the Padres and Cardinals.
While Ross’ average fastball velocity of 91.7 mph and strikeout rate of 7.3 per 9 both represent marked declines from his peak, there is some reason for optimism. Few pitchers fully return to form in their first season back from significant injury, so the fact that he was able to make it back for a relatively full season is a step in the right direction. Additionally, his performance in the first half of the season was vastly superior to his performance in the second half, suggesting that fatigue played a significant role in his decline. However, a full off-season of normal rest and recovery should do wonders for his conditioning going forward.
On the other hand, his already low strikeout rate declined significantly upon his trade to the Cardinals and subsequent move to the bullpen, so there are additional causes for concern as well. Ross will turn 32-years-old in April, and it will be interesting to see if he can remain healthy for all of 2019.
Mostly Ross represents an interesting, low-risk candidate with some potential for a rebound season. He gets a chance to build value, and if he cannot recover some of his previous form, he still represents veteran innings and leadership on a rebuilding club. A good signing for both parties.
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