The Tigers host the Pirates for a two-game set starting Tuesday night, having clawed their way back toward .500. But Karsch says that "maintaining even this pace, flirting with .500, is a big ask for this collection of players and this roster."
Could the Tigers supplement the roster with a certain someone from Triple-A Toledo? In other words, asks Gator, "Who do they have in terms of players that you could expect more out of?"
"It’s probably Justyn-Henry Malloy," says Karsch. "He got off to a hot start, cooled off a little bit, has gotten hot again down in Toledo. Think we might be getting close to a point that he gets called up. Reading between the lines, listening to A.J. Hinch, defensively he’s gotta make some improvements. But at some point, when you’re scraping as a baseball team offensively and you really don’t have a whole lot you can expect more from..."
Question is, where would the Tigers play him? And would his shortcomings on defense erase the gain of his bat? Malloy, 23, still needs a lot of work at third base and might be better suited in the outfield or simply as a designated hitter long term. But his offense could certainly help a team that's last in the majors in runs scored and on-base percentage.
Acquired by Detroit this offseason in the Joe Jimenez trade, Malloy is hitting .323 with a robust .455 OBP that ranks fourth in the Triple-A International League. He's been exactly what Tigers new president of baseball ops Scott Harris was looking for: a disciplined hitter who drives the ball to all fields. He also has seven home runs.
"They have so many holes left on this team and Justyn-Henry Malloy looks like he could be really good. We don’t know. But that seems like the best of the bunch they have (in the minors)," says Gator. ... "He’s hitting for average and we’d like to see something here because right now, the everyday roster leaves so much to be desired."
"At some point," says Karsch, "it’d be great to see if he can provide a spark."
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