Detroit Tigers: Should JaCoby Jones have spot on opening day roster?
With less than a week to go until opening day, the Detroit Tigers still have a couple of decisions left to make. JaCoby Jones has been making a strong case to earn one of the final spots on the roster.
At the end of last season, JaCoby Jones was given a nice opportunity to show if he might be ready to be the Detroit Tigers‘ starting center fielder. Although his speed and defense were impressive, he struggled at the plate.
Through a total of 56 games last year, Jones hit .170/.240/.270 with three homers. Jones’ minor league track record does, however, suggest that he is capable of doing greater things with the bat. Although strikeouts might indeed be part of the package, he has shown an ability to hit with power.
Over the offseason, the Detroit Tigers added additional center field help. They signed bounce-back candidate Leonys Martin to a one-year deal and selected Victor Reyes in the Rule 5 draft. Jones is currently battling for a reserve or utility role on the 2018 opening day roster.
Earlier this spring, Evan Woodbery of MLive reported that the Tigers wanted Jones to start practicing in the infield, in addition to the outfield. While Jones has played mostly center field during his time in the majors, he had quite a bit of experience playing shortstop and third base in the minors.
Jones has also been enjoying a solid spring. Through 17 games, he has hit .325/.400/.475 with a homer and seven RBI.
A battle for final spots
According to George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press, manager Ron Gardenhire recently spoke of a desire to begin the season with 12 pitchers and 13 position players. The additional spot on the bench could still conceivably be a job that ends up going to Jones.
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On Thursday, Woodbery reported that at this point, it would seem that Jones, Niko Goodrum, and Alexi Amarista compete for the final two bench spots. He also notes that the team also seems to want to retain Victor Reyes. The 23-year-old Reyes is a switch-hitter who has hit for high average in the minor leagues. Many viewed him as an intriguing addition over the offseason. As a Rule 5 pick, Reyes’ situation would be complicated if he were not to make the team and the Tigers might end up losing him.
Goodroom, like Reyes, is a switch-hitter. He has also been having an excellent spring, hitting .306/.333/.667 with three homers over 18 games. A former member of the Minnesota Twins organization, Goodrum had plenty of experience playing both infield and outfield in the minor leagues.
Amarista has had a less impressive spring with the bat, hitting .184/.225/.289 through 19 games. However, he has seven years of big league experience and would provide another veteran presence for Detroit.
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The decision for the final spots on the Tigers’ bench may not be an easy one for Detroit. If the Tigers think that they can find enough bats for Jones at the big-level, it could certainly make sense for them to keep him on the roster. Otherwise, it might be better to give him a chance to play every day in the minors. It should be interesting to see what the Detroit Tigers decide in the coming days.