Schoop signed a two-year, $15 million contract extension in August, 2021 and wound up hitting just .204/.248/.311 with 11 homers, 45 RBI and five stolen bases across 661 plate appearances over 186 games since the start of the 2022 campaign. The 31-year-old second baseman went unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week, but might be able to latch on with a contending team in a bench role.

The surprise with this move isn’t that it happened — it’s that it took so long for it to happen. After registering as one of the worst hitters in baseball during the 2022 season, Schoop has hit a cringe-inducing .213/.278/.272 with zero home runs and seven RBI in 151 plate appearances on the season. This move paves the way on both the active and 40-man rosters for Riley Greene to return on Saturday.

So far the Tigers have deployed a strict platoon at second base, with Schoop seeing two starts against left-handed pitching while Zach McKinstry has been in there for both games against right-handers. McKinstry is batting eighth against Hunter Brown and the Astros on Monday night.

The Rays scored in each of the final seven innings and tied the game with three in the ninth, but the Tigers were able to win it in the bottom of the inning. Schoop was 5-for-27 with no homers this spring coming into this one. The Tigers seem prepared to use him as their primary second baseman at the beginning of the year. They'd love for some team to make an offer for him, but Schoop will have to experience some regular-season success if that's going to happen.