LAKELAND, Fla. — Pitcher Michael Pineda and the Detroit Tigers agreed to a one-year contract Saturday, the latest move by a team that has been active before and following the 99-day lockout.
Pineda went 9-8 with a 3.62 ERA for the Minnesota Twins last season. The 33-year-old right-hander went 5-0 with a 1.85 ERA in his last five games, leading the majors in wins in September.
The Tigers went 77-85 last season under new manager AJ Hinch, playing over .500 following May 7. It was a huge improvement following four straight years with sub-.400 winning percentages.
Once the season was over, the Tigers went to work.
Before the major league lockout began, Detroit signed a pair of coveted free agents, star shortstop Javier Báez and lefty starter Eduardo Rodríguez, to long-term contracts and landed catcher Tucker Barnhart from the Reds in exchange. from Cincinnati.
Earlier this week, with spring training opening following a player-owner labor agreement, left-hander Andrew Chafin and the Tigers finalized a $13 million, two-year deal, giving Detroit one of the best free agent relievers. The 31-year-old had a combined 1.83 ERA with five saves in 71 games for the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics last season.
Pineda is 62-54 with a 3.98 ERA in eight seasons with the Mariners, Yankees, and Twins. He was an American League All-Star as a rookie in 2011 with Seattle.
Known for his good control, Pineda threw 69% of his pitches for strikes last year, the fourth-best rate in the majors among those with at least 100 innings.
The Tigers’ rotation is expected to include a mix of Pineda, Rodriguez, Casey Mize, Matt Manning and lefties Tarik Skubal and Tyler Alejandro.