Lavarnway finished up his career going 1-for-9 with Israel in the WBC. A sixth-round pick of the Red Sox in 2008, Lavarnway hit as many as 32 homers in a minor league season, but he never got a long look as a starter in the majors and wound up hitting .217/.272/.345 with nine homers in 486 MLB plate appearances. He picked up a World Series ring with the Red Sox in 2013.

There's no word yet on the return for Detroit, with De Nicola only terming it a "minor league trade." Lavarnway was sporting strong numbers this season at Triple-A Toledo, but the veteran journeyman catcher holds just a .217/.272/.345 career batting line in 486 total plate appearances at the major league level.

Lavarnway will remain with the big-league club until the Triple-A Toledo season begins, but the Tigers are likely rolling with Tucker Barnhart, Eric Haase and possibly even Dustin Garneau as their catcher this season. The 34-year-old veteran backstop will serve as emergency catching depth this season. 

Lavarnway saw a little action in the majors with the Guardians in 2021 and has a career .617 OPS over parts of 10 big league seasons. He'll likely begin 2022 at Triple-A Toledo.