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Detroit Tigers lose catcher Liam Hicks, infielder Gage Workman in 2024 Rule 5 Draft
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- Detroit Tigers lose catcher Liam Hicks, infielder Gage Workman in 2024 Rule 5 Draft
DALLAS — The Detroit Tigers lost two prospects in the 2024 Rule 5 draft: catcher Liam Hicks to the Miami Marlins and infielder Gage Workman to the Chicago Cubs .
The Rule 5 draft took place Wednesday afternoon, the final day of MLB's Winter Meetings at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas. It's an opportunity for teams to poach eligible unprotected players from other teams.
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The Tigers did not select any players in the MLB phase of the Rule 5 draft for the second year in a row, but they lost two players in Hicks and Workman.
Erie SeaWolves batter Gage Workman fouls off a Harrisburg Senators pitch at UPMC Park in Erie on April 27, 2024.
Here's what to know about the Rule 5 draft: Teams pay $100,000 to select a player in the MLB phase, but if that player doesn't stay on the active 26-man roster (or the injured list) at the MLB level for the entire 2025 season, then he must be placed on waivers and offered back to his former team for $50,000.
Both Hicks and Workman could eventually return to the Tigers' organization.
WHO TIGERS PROTECTED: Tigers protect 3 pitching prospects from Rule 5 draft, make cuts for roster space
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Liam Hicks
The Tigers acquired Hicks, a left-handed hitting catcher, from the Texas Rangers in the Carson Kelly trade at the 2024 trade deadline. The 25-year-old doesn't hit for power, but he draws walks, limits strikeouts and puts the ball in play.
Hicks was the second player selected in the Rule 5 draft, following the Chicago White Sox taking right-hander Shane Smith from the Milwaukee Brewers .
In 2024, Hicks hit .264 with six home runs, 64 walks (13% walk rate) and 58 strikeouts (11.7% strikeout rate) across 113 games, all at the Double-A level.
Hicks registered a .272 batting average with 23 walks and 14 strikeouts in 33 games for Double-A Erie after the trade from the Rangers to the Tigers. He has been graded as a below-average defender in the past, but he has always been an on-base machine.
Gage Workman
Workman has been with the Tigers since being selected in the fourth round of the 2020 MLB draft out of Arizona State, but he became a full-time left-handed hitter for the first time in 2024.
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Previously, Workman operated as a switch-hitter.
As a full-time lefty, Workman improved significantly with Double-A Erie in the 2024 season. The 25-year-old, who stole 30 bases in 43 attempts, hit .280 with 18 home runs, 65 walks (11.7% walk rate) and 153 strikeouts (27.5% strikeout rate) across 126 games. He crushes right-handed pitchers but struggles against left-handed pitchers.
It was his third season with the SeaWolves.
Workman, an above-average defender, is capable of playing third base, shortstop and second base. The biggest concern about his game is at the plate with swing-and-miss issues.
Other news
• The Tigers selected New York Mets shortstop Junior Tilien in the minor league phase of the 2024 Rule 5 draft. The 22-year-old spent the entire 2024 season in High-A Brooklyn, hitting .232 with six home runs, 40 walks and 85 strikeouts in 109 games. On defense, Tilien played second base (44 starts), third base (32 starts), shortstop (13 starts) and first base (five starts).
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• In the MiLB phase, the Tigers lost right-hander Eiker Huizi (from High-A West Michigan) to the San Diego Padres , catcher Josh Crouch (from Double-A Erie) to the Los Angeles Angels , right-hander Sadrac Franco (from Low-A Lakeland) to the San Francisco Giants and right-hander Jack Anderson (from Double-A Erie) to the Boston Red Sox .
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on demand at freep.com, Apple Podcasts , Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts .
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tigers lose two minor-league prospects in MLB Rule 5 draft
