Nick Maton, Matt Vierling, Donny Sands Head To Detroit
Maton #Maton
The Detroit Tigers acquired infielder Nick Maton, outfielder Matt Vierling and catcher Donny Sands from the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday in exchange for reliever Gregory Soto and infielder Kody Clemens. With Soto now in Philly, it will likely be Alex Lange taking over Detroit’s primary closing duties in 2023. Maton, a utility infielder who has hit .254/.330/434 in his two seasons with the Phillies, could see more playing time in his new home, but he’s unlikely to make much of a fantasy impact. Vierling, a right-handed hitting outfielder, will give the Tigers some outfield depth against southpaws. Sands, the Phillies’ No. 21 prospect per MLB Pipeline, made his big-league debut in 2022 but played in just two games. He’s a contact-first hitter that has added some more loft to his swing recently. The 26-year-old projects as a backup catcher for Detroit.