Prospects begin arriving to Tigers system
Minor League depth boosted by 6 highly rated additions
BALTIMORE -- The prospects the Tigers acquired leading up to Friday's non-waiver Trade Deadline have begun to filter into the farm system, changing the look at Triple-A Toledo and Double-A Erie for the final month of the Minor League season.
The centerpiece of the prospect package in the Price trade, Daniel Norris, delivered 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball Sunday against the Orioles to win his Tigers debut, 6-1. The third pitcher, Jairo Labourt, started Friday for Class A Lakeland, allowing four runs on seven hits over four innings with four walks and five strikeouts.
Shortstop JaCoby Jones, the return prospect in the Joakim Soria trade with Pittsburgh, broke out with a three-homer game and five RBIs on Sunday for Double-A Erie. Jones is 4-for-12 with the three home runs, a stolen base, five runs scored and six RBIs over his first three games.
Matt Boyd, one of three left-handers acquired in the David Price trade, started for the Mud Hens on Saturday night at Louisville and pitched two hitless innings, overcoming three walks. He threw 40 pitches, 20 for strikes, in his seventh Triple-A start.
Boyd was on a pitch count, according to Tigers president/general manager Dave Dombrowski. His previous outing featured seven scoreless innings for Triple-A Buffalo on July 24. He's 9-2 with a 1.65 ERA across three Minor League stops this year.
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Michael Fulmer, the top prospect acquired in the Yoenis Cespedes trade with the Mets, will make his first start for Erie on Tuesday night at Jerry Uht Park. The young right-hander, 6-2 with a 1.88 ERA this season at Binghamton provides a boost to a SeaWolves rotation that has struggled mightily.
The other Mets prospect acquired, right-hander Luis Cessa, has yet to be activated at Toledo. He started Thursday night for the Mets' Triple-A Las Vegas team, allowing four runs on eight hits over five innings with seven strikeouts. If he stays on turn, he could get a start early this coming week at Toledo against Lehigh Valley.
The newly arrived prospects comprise six of the top 15 spots in MLBPipeline.com's list of top Tigers prospects.