The Detroit Tigers’ best player this past season may have been Dillon Dingler, considering what he did on both sides of the baseball.
While someone like Riley Greene may have had the stronger offensive season in terms of raw numbers, Dingler was excellent, winning a Gold Glove and posting a 108 OPS+ as one of the better-hitting catchers in the league.
Still just 27 years old, Dingler appears to be Detroit’s long-term answer behind the plate.
For others in the organization, that development obviously changes things, including for catcher Thayron Liranzo, whom Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report believes could be traded at the Winter Meetings because of Dingler’s emergence.
“The Tigers acquired Liranzo as the centerpiece in the 2024 deadline deal that sent Jack Flaherty to the Dodgers, and he has been one of baseball’s more promising catching prospects since breaking through with a .962 OPS and 24 home runs as a 19-year-old at Single-A in 2023. His 60-grade power and loud batted-ball metrics drive his value.
“Why He Could Be Traded: A breakout season from AL Gold Glove winner Dillon Dingler at the MLB level and the continued rise of Josue Briceño in the minors gives the Tigers an abundance of catching talent, and there is always a market for potential starting backstops,” he wrote.
Liranzo remains a top-100 prospect in most major rankings. But given how well Dingler has performed, it may make sense for Detroit to move him in a deal for another impact piece.
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