Tigers deal Kelly, opening door for top prospect Dingler's MLB debut

DETROIT – The Tigers started what could be a busy Trade Deadline season on Sunday for them by sending catcher Carson Kelly to the Rangers for catching prospect Liam Hicks and right-handed reliever Tyler Owens.

The deal provides the defending World Series champion Rangers with a veteran catcher behind Jonah Heim. It also clears a path to Detroit for Tigers top catching prospect Dillon Dingler, who was promoted from Triple-A Toledo on Monday for his Major League debut. He'll bat sixth and start behind the plate.

The Tigers signed Kelly last August with the idea of helping him rework his game from behind the plate and with the bat after the Diamondbacks released him. It couldn’t have worked out much better for both sides. Kelly switched his catching stance to a one-knee setup late last season and became a better receiver, then tweaked his swing in the offseason. The latter took some time to pay off, but Kelly became a middle-of-the-order run producer in Detroit’s lineup by midseason, while splitting time with Jake Rogers behind the plate. He became the primary catcher for old Cardinals teammate Jack Flaherty in his rebound season.

Kelly, who turned 30 years old on July 14, is making $3.5 million this season in his final year before free agency. With Dingler knocking on Detroit’s door with an eye-opening season at Toledo, the Tigers had a succession plan lined up. Kelly is the ideal veteran catcher to mix into a postseason contender; his work with Detroit down the stretch last season showed an ability to learn a pitching staff quickly.

The 25-year-old Hicks, a ninth-round pick in the 2021 Draft out of Arkansas State, batted .260/.364/.353 in 80 games at Double-A Frisco this season with 15 doubles, four home runs and 33 RBIs. The left-handed hitter drew almost as many walks (41) as strikeouts (44) and shows consistent contact skills at the plate, fitting the Tigers’ organizational philosophy of zone control at the plate. He’s still a work in progress behind the plate, throwing out 10 of 42 would-be basestealers while allowing six passed balls and committing four errors. Though he spent the majority of his time (43 games) behind the plate, he also started 34 games at DH and three games at first base, a position he played more in the lower levels.

The 23-year-old Owens, a 13th-round pick by the Braves in the 2019 Draft out of high school, pitches bigger than his 5-foot-10 frame, with a power fastball that sits in the mid- to upper-90s and complements an above-average slider. He pitched in 26 games out of the bullpen for Frisco, posting a 2-0 record with eight saves and a 2.80 ERA. He struck out 35 batters over 35 1/3 innings while yielding just two home runs out of 33 hits allowed. He was a Braves prospect until going to Texas last January in a trade for outfielder J.P. Martinez.

For Dingler, the Tigers’ No. 11 prospect, the path to Detroit couldn’t come at a much better time amidst a hitting tear in Toledo. The Tigers’ second-round pick from the 2020 Draft hit 10-for-19 over his last five games with five home runs, 10 RBIs, five walks and three strikeouts. His .308 average ranks second in the International League, while his .938 OPS ranks fourth.