Detroit Tigers make surprising move with Wilson Ramos

Wilson Ramos was one of the great surprises for the Detroit Tigers at the beginning of the year. The veteran catcher had seemingly shaken off a disappointing 2020 campaign, belting six homers in his first nine games. If nothing else, he seemed as though he would be a solid trade chip for the Tigers if they fell out of contention.

However, Ramos was unable to keep up that pace, struggling with the bat before landing on the Injured List on May 7. On Tuesday, the Tigers made the surprising decision to designate the former All Star for assignment.

Detroit Tigers let Wilson Ramos go

In reality, it should not be much of a surprise that the Tigers made this decision. Ramos had posted a .200/.238/.392 batting line in his 128 plate appearances, his OPS+ of 73 the second lowest of his career. He remains stuck on six homers, failing to hit one since that hot streak at the start of the season.

Nonetheless, the expectation was that Ramos would return to his role as a starter. Given his track record, it would have been the easiest path for the Tigers to take. If he performed to the level they expected, he would have been able to become an asset at the trade deadline once again.

Instead, they realized that he will not be a part of the future. Their current tandem of Jake Rogers and Eric Haase have been respectable and have a chance to be a part of the roster moving forward. They certainly have more upside than Ramos at this point, even if they do not have nearly the same track record.

It is possible that the Tigers will be able to deal Ramos to another team. There are several teams in the majors, including possible contenders, that need help behind the plate. But he will not command the type of return that Detroit had been hoping for when he was signed to that one year deal.

The Detroit Tigers made the surprising decision to designate Wilson Ramos for assignment. Considering his struggles, we should have seen this coming.