DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers have agreed to terms with infielders Jonathan Schoop and C.J. Cron on one-year Major League contracts.
“Adding Jonathan and C.J. is a step towards accomplishing our offseason goal of making the ballclub better heading into the 2020 season,” said Detroit Tigers Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager, Al Avila. “We’re excited to have them join our organization, and we expect both players will inject significant power to our lineup. Defensively, C.J. will provide stability at first base, while Jonathan will lead the middle of our infield.”
Jonathan Schoop
Schoop, 28, played in 121 games with the Minnesota Twins in 2019, hitting .256/.304/.473 with 23 doubles, one triple, 23 home runs and 59 RBI. He hit 22 home runs as a second baseman, which was the fourth-highest total in all of baseball, while he ranked third with a .478 slugging percentage. The 6-1, 225-pound infielder had five multi-homer games during the season, which was tied for the second most by a second baseman in baseball history, trailing only Chase Utley, who had seven with Philadelphia in 2006.
An American League All-Star in 2017, Schoop has played parts of seven seasons at the Major League level with the Baltimore Orioles (2009-18), Milwaukee Brewers (2018) and the Twins (2019), hitting .257/.295/.449 with 153 doubles, three triples, 133 home runs and 392 RBI. He finished 12th in AL Most Valuable Player voting in 2017, and has been named AL Player of the Week twice in his career, earning the honor in July 2018 and July 2017. Schoop has appeared for team Netherlands in three World Baseball Classics, appearing in 2009, 2013 and 2017.
A native of Willemstad, Curaçao, Schoop was originally signed by the Baltimore Orioles as a non-drafted free agent in 2008. He has a daughter, Jae’Lyane Isabelle, and a son, Jae’Lan Elijah. Schoop, who played on the Little League World Series championship team for Willemstad, Curaçao in 2004, is one of 15 players from Curaçao to play Major League Baseball.
C.J. Cron
Cron, 29, appeared in 125 games with the Minnesota Twins in 2019, batting .253/.311/.469 with 24 doubles, 25 home runs and a career-high 78 RBI. Cron’s 25 home runs marked the second straight season that he has hit 25-or-more homers after belting 30 homers in 2018 with Tampa Bay. The 6-4, 235-pound first baseman excelled against lefthanded pitchers last season, hitting .326/.385/.636 with seven doubles, 11 home runs and 31 RBI vs. southpaws.
Cron has played parts of six seasons in the Majors with the Los Angeles Angels (2014-17), Tampa Bay Rays (2018) and Twins (2019), hitting .258/.311/.462 with 120 doubles, six triples, 114 home runs and 365 RBI in 673 games. Cron was a member of the United States team in the 2013 Futures Game.
A native of Fullerton, CA, Cron was selected by the Angels in the first round (17thoverall) of the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft. His father, Chris, played briefly in the Majors with the Angels (1991) and Chicago White Sox (1992) and was the manager for Double A Erie from 2011-13, while his brother, Kevin, is a first baseman in the Diamondbacks organization and made his Major League debut in 2019.
To make room on the 40-man roster, OF Brandon Dixon has been designated for assignment.
–TIGERS–
