Detroit Tigers: 10 Free Agents to sign heading into the 2021 season
By Bob Heyrman
Catcher: Austin Romine
The Detroit Tigers strongly need to consider a reunion with catcher Austin Romine. A year ago, when Al Avila signed Romine as a free agent from the New York Yankees, I wasn’t a big fan; boy was I wrong. Romine hit .278 with New York filling in admirably for the ailing Gary Sanchez the year prior.
Romine handled the young Tigers pitching staff admirably last season, perhaps even the best signal-caller Detroit’s seen behind the dish since Alex Avila.
Romine hit .238 last season in Detroit, but his awful September slump was most to blame; through August, Romine hit a tremendous .291. The 32-year old catcher hit two home runs while driving in 17 but only drew four walks.
The Detroit Tigers have a plethora of catching prospects led by second-round pick rookie Dillon Dingler, but he’s not yet ready to make a significant impact in the majors. The Tigers also had high hopes for catching prospect Jake Rogers who the Tigers selected in the third round of the 2016 MLB Draft.
Rogers has continued to struggle at the plate, although he has proven in the past to display a powerful bat. In 2019, Rogers hit four home runs and eight runs batted in while hitting just .125 with 51 strikeouts in only 128 plate appearances.
Other catching options include Grayson Greiner, who hit just .118 last season, or Eric Haase, who hit .176 in seven games.
Avila needs to make re-signing Romine a priority.