Tigers release former All-Star infielder

The Detroit Tigers have released Jonathan Schoop, according to the transaction tracker at MLB.com. Once he clears release waivers, he will be a free agent.

This was the expected outcome when Detroit designated the veteran infielder for assignment on Friday night. Schoop’s offensive struggles – he’s a .204/.248/.311 hitter going back to the start of 2022 – meant he was never likely to attract trade interest. He’s making $7.5M this season (a little more than $3M of which is still to be paid out), which no club is going to assume via waiver claim.

After hitting the market, the 31-year-old should be able to find some interest around the league. He is a former All-Star who rated as a Gold Glove-caliber defensive second baseman a season ago. Schoop’s offense has evaporated the past couple years, but he is a career .254/.293/.428 hitter through parts of 11 big league campaigns.

Given his struggles at the plate, Schoop might be limited to minor league opportunities for now. If he cracks another team’s MLB roster this season, that club would pay him the prorated amount of the $720K league minimum salary for however long he’s in the majors. Detroit will remain on the hook for the rest of the contract.