Tigers add R. Ross, 3 more on Minors deals
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The Tigers added to their organizational depth with a quartet of Minor League signings, including former Major League pitchers Robbie Ross Jr. and Andrew Moore.
The team also signed journeyman first baseman Aderlin Rodriguez and former Cardinals infield prospect Yariel Gonzalez. None of the four contracts include an invite to big league camp in Spring Training.
The 31-year-old Ross is the latest lefty reliever to join the Tigers organization in a comeback attempt, following Ian Krol’s signing last month. Ross has six saves, a 3.92 ERA and 7.5 strikeouts per nine innings over 266 Major League appearances with Texas (2012-14) and Boston (2015-17). He spent the last two years pitching independent ball with Sugar Land – first in the Atlantic League, then the Constellation Energy League.
Moore, a former teammate of Matthew Boyd at Oregon State and a second-round selection by Seattle in the 2015 MLB Draft, made 10 starts and two relief appearances with a 5.51 ERA for the Mariners from 2017 to 2019. His lone win came in his Major League debut with seven quality innings against the Tigers on June 22, 2017. He bounced between the Mariners, Rays and Giants organizations in 2019 and didn’t pitch anywhere last year.
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Rodriguez hit 174 home runs with a .784 OPS over 11 Minor League seasons before spending last year in Japan, where he batted .218 with six home runs and 25 RBIs for the Orix Buffaloes. The 29-year-old hit two homers and three doubles in three games for Escogido in the Dominican League this winter.
Gonzalez hit .288 with 29 home runs, 198 RBIs and a .758 OPS over four seasons as a third baseman in the Cardinals organization, topping out at Triple-A Memphis. The 26-year-old switch-hitter didn’t play anywhere last year.