Orioles Acquire Jake Rogers From Tigers

The Orioles have added catching depth, landing catcher Jake Rogers in a deal with the Tigers. Baltimore is sending minor league righty Zane Barnhart back to Detroit. Both teams have announced the trade. Rogers was designated for assignment on Tuesday. The 31-year-old Rogers spent parts of six big-league seasons with Detroit. He never provided much with the bat outside of the occasional homer, but was valued for his glove and clubhouse presence. Rogers had shifted to a true backup role the past two years, with Dillon Dingler emerging as a near-everyday option. Detroit is now rolling with youngster Eduardo Valencia as the lone catcher behind Dingler. Rogers hit .161 over 36 games before being DFAed. More concerning was his drop-off behind the plate. The backstop recorded -3 Defensive Runs Saved and an identical -3 Fielding Run Value. He entered the year with 15 DRS and 13 Fielding Run Value in the majors. The batted ball distribution suggests Rogers was selling out for power more than usual. He had a career-high 40% fly ball rate to go with a double-digit walk rate. Rogers was pulling the ball in the air at a massive 29.2% clip, but the approach only resulted in three homers. A 7.7% barrel rate and an 87.7% average exit velocity were among the worst of Rogers’ career. More to come… View Comments (19)