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Detroit Tigers sign outfielder Manuel Margot to 1-year MLB contract worth $1.3 million
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- Detroit Tigers sign outfielder Manuel Margot to 1-year MLB contract worth $1.3 million
The Detroit Tigers have a new outfielder.
Manuel Margot , a 30-year-old right-handed hitter, agreed to a one-year MLB contract Sunday with the Tigers , according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation who were granted anonymity because the deal is pending a physical exam.
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The Tigers signed Margot for his ability to hit left-handed pitching and play center field. The deal is worth $1.3 million, with an additional $1.2 million in plate appearance-based bonuses, allowing Margot to earn up to $2.5 million in 2025.
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Minnesota Twins right fielder Manuel Margot (13) rounds third base on his way to score in the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Target Field in Minneapolis on Tuesday, July 2, 2024.
Margot, a nine-year MLB veteran, will help replace Parker Meadows in center field, especially against left-handed pitchers. Meadows, who has been sidelined for the past month with a musculocutaneous nerve issue in his right upper arm, will remain shut down from throwing until at least late April .
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There still isn't a timetable for Meadows' return.
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Margot has played center field in every season of his MLB career, including over 135 innings last season, but he hasn't been a primary center fielder since 2019. Over the past five years, he has mostly played in right and left field.
He is expected to join the Tigers in San Francisco on Sunday night ahead of their exhibition games against the Giants on Monday and Tuesday. Opening Day is set for Thursday against the Dodgers in Los Angeles .
Margot will be active for the Tigers on the Opening Day roster , likely as the starting center fielder against Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell . With Margot's addition, it seems like one spot remains for these three position players: Spencer Torkelson , Justyn-Henry Malloy and Jahmai Jones .
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In 2024, Margot hit .238 with four home runs, 21 walks (6.1% walk rate) and 54 strikeouts (15.7% strikeout rate) across 129 games for the Minnesota Twins . While Margot struggles with swing decisions and drawing walks, he's above average at putting the ball in play and limiting strikeouts.
Most importantly, Margot thrives against left-handed pitchers.
He hit .269 with a .713 OPS against lefties in 2024, compared to .208 with a .540 OPS against righties. Among 56 players with at least 170 plate appearances against lefties last season, his OPS ranked 38th — just ahead of Alex Bregman .
The Tigers could consider a platoon in center field with Margot facing left-handed pitchers and Wenceel Pérez facing right-handed pitchers until one of their injured outfielders — Meadows or Matt Vierling — returns.
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While Margot excels against lefties, the switch-hitting Pérez struggles against them, performing much better against righties. In 2024, Pérez hit .209 with a .594 OPS against lefties and .251 with a .709 OPS against righties.
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Margot was released by the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday — one day before signing with the Tigers — after opting out of his minor league contract in the final days of spring training. He hit .250 (8-for-32) with three walks and five strikeouts in 11 games, spanning 35 plate appearances.
In his nine-year MLB career, Margot played for the San Diego Padres (2016-19), Tampa Bay Rays (2020-23) and Twins (2024) before joining the Tigers for his 10th season.
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Margot has 26 games of postseason experience, including six games in the 2020 World Series with the Rays.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers sign Manuel Margot to 1-year MLB contract
