Jonathan Schoop, C.J. Cron Agree to 1-Year, $6.1M Contracts with Tigers

The Detroit Tigers have added some much-needed help to their infield by agreeing to deals with Jonathan Schoop and C.J. Cron. 

The team officially announced both signings on Saturday.

Per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, Schoop's agreement with the Tigers will be worth $6.1 million for one year and includes performance bonuses. 

Cron's one-year deal is also worth $6.1 million, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. 

Schoop will be a significant upgrade for the Tigers at second base. The 2017 All-Star hit .256/.304/.473 with 23 homers in 121 games for the Minnesota Twins last season. Gordon Beckham, Detroit's primary second baseman in 2019, had a .215/.271/.372 slash line. 

Cron can play first base and also gives the Tigers insurance at designated hitter if Miguel Cabrera continues to battle injuries. The 29-year-old has hit 55 homers combined over the past two seasons and had a .253/.311/.469 slash line with the Minnesota Twins in 2019.

The Tigers remain deep in rebuilding mode coming off a 47-114 record in 2019, but they are also a franchise that still needs to have players on the roster that can get them through next season as they start to integrate more prospects into MLB. 

By giving Schoop and Cron one year deals, Detroit has also given itself two potential trade chips that it might be able to flip during the season for prospects who can help the organization when its next contention window opens.