Sent to Detroit Vierling, Nick Maton and Donny Sands were traded from the Phillies to the Tigers on Saturday in exchange for Gregory Soto and Kody Clemens, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports. Impact Vierling got into 117 games for the Phillies last season and was exactly replacement level, per FanGraphs. His .246/.297/.351 slash line was merely good for an 81 wRC+, a number that can work for a player who's a strong defensive center fielder, but Vierling's glove fits best in a corner. You don't have to squint too hard to see more potential in his bat, however. He made an above-average amount of contact, striking out 19.6 percent of the time, and he paired that with an 85th percentile hard hit rate. A step forward at the plate could earn him a starting role, though a spot on the short side of a platoon with Akil Baddoo may be more likely.
JANUARY 7, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
