EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEVV) — The Detroit Tigers has signed outfielder Nolan McCarthy from the Evansville Otters, the team announced Wednesday.
McCarthy, a Kalamazoo, Michigan native, was slated to make his debut at Bosse Field this spring after being acquired by the Otters in a trade with the Ottawa Titans last November. Instead, he will report to the Tigers’ affiliated system for the 2026 season.
“While it is unfortunate we won’t get to see Nolan in an Otters jersey, we are glad we could help him reach the next step of his baseball career,” said Otters Field Manager Andy McCauley. “We look forward to seeing what he can do as he breaks into affiliated baseball.”
McCarthy is the 96th player in franchise history to sign with a Major League Baseball organization. He is the first player to move from Evansville to the MLB ranks since left-handed pitcher Grif Hughes was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays in June 2025.
During his 2025 rookie campaign with Ottawa, McCarthy posted a .320 batting average with 11 doubles and 15 stolen bases in 29 games. His collegiate career included three seasons with the Kentucky Wildcats, where he was a key part of the school’s first-ever Men’s College World Series team, before finishing his final year at Georgia.
The Otters, who won Frontier League titles in 2006 and 2016, will open the 2026 season at historic Bosse Field on Thursday, May 7, against the Florence Y’alls.