Tigers look north in signing reliever Aumont
DETROIT -- The Tigers' search for undervalued pitching led them north of the border to independent ball. But in acquiring former Phillies reliever Phillippe Aumont, the Tigers hope to find the upside in the former first-round Draft pick.Aumont's indy team, the Ottawa Champions of the Can-Am League, announced the deal
DETROIT -- The Tigers' search for undervalued pitching led them north of the border to independent ball. But in acquiring former Phillies reliever
Aumont's indy team, the Ottawa Champions of the Can-Am League, announced the deal this week, since the club sold his contract to Detroit. The Tigers haven't officially confirmed the deal; they tend to announce Minor League signings in groups rather than individually.
BREAKING 🗞️ | The Champions have sold the contract of RHP Phillippe Aumont to Detroit (MLB). Congrats Phil!
— Ottawa Champions (@OttawaChampions) December 18, 2017
More to come... pic.twitter.com/MNJJk6B932
Aumont was the 11th overall pick in the 2007 MLB Draft by the Mariners, 16 picks before the Tigers selected
Aumont pitched just 11 innings for Triple-A Charlotte in the White Sox system in 2016. He went to Ottawa this past season and posted a 5-8 record and 4.51 ERA in 17 starts. He allowed 128 hits over 115 2/3 innings, but struck out 103 batters.
Aumont turns 29 in January. While he could provide some competition in Spring Training for one of the many bullpen spots open, even if he doesn't break out, he gives Detroit some depth in case of injuries and inconsistencies.
Expect more deals like this as Spring Training draws closer and the Tigers look for more bounceback and breakout candidates in a pitching market that has proven pricey for them.
Jason Beck has covered the Tigers for MLB.com since 2002. Read Beck's Blog, follow him on Twitter @beckjason and Facebook.