Two years ago, the Tigers' old regime extended Jonathan Schoop. The new one led by Scott Harris has officially released him.
Schoop, who was designated for assignment last week after the two worst seasons of his career, cleared waivers Friday and was granted his release. He hit .213 with zero homers and a .550 OPS in 55 games this season, a year after hitting .202 with a .561 OPS.
When Al Avila and the Tigers extended Schoop on a two-year, $15 million deal in August of 2021, he had a career OPS of about .750. Then the ground caved in beneath him.
With a wRC+ of 57 over the past two seasons, Schoop has been the worst offensive player in the majors, dead last out of 207 hitters with at least 600 plate appearances. And from the very date he was extended, Schoop is the only hitter in the majors with at least 800 plate appearances and a sub-.600 OPS.
The extension really was the beginning of the end: Schoop had an .803 OPS on Aug. 7, 2021 and a .655 OPS for the rest of the season. Then things took a turn for the worse, with due respect to his defense.
There's a chance the 31-year-old with latch on with a contender given his track record and infield versatility, but his time in Detroit is officially over.