A former Los Angeles Dodgers infield prospect is getting his big-league moment with the Detroit Tigers.
Trey Sweeney is reportedly getting the call that never came while he was with the Dodgers, according to Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.
Sweeney was sent to Detroit as part of the trade package that brought starting pitcher Jack Flaherty home to Los Angeles. The shortstop is not currently on the 40-man roster, so the Tigers have to make a corresponding move to add him.
Detroit immediately assigned Sweeney to Triple-A Toledo and he made a huge first impression on his new team. In his first four games with the Mud Hens, he was 9-for-17 at the plate with two homers and seven runs batted in with multi-hit efforts in each game.
“I was a little surprised and my mind was racing a little bit and I had to just make a bunch of phone calls and tell everybody,” Sweeney told The Toledo Blade of his experience at the trade deadline. “It happened pretty quick, so there wasn’t really too much time to think about it.”
The former first-round pick is joining his third organization since being drafted by the New York Yankees in 2021. He was traded to the Dodgers in Dec. 2023 in the deal that sent Victor Gonzalez to The Bronx.
Sweeney said his experience being traded before prepared him for being traded again.
“Last year it was in the offseason, so it was a little bit different,” Sweeney said. “I was going into spring training. This year, it’s hopping in straight from one team to the next midseason. I think that happening the first time helped me out a little bit. It’s just all about getting comfortable with the new guys on the team. Then you have to learn the staff and their philosophies and what’s different in each organization.”
Mud Hens manager Tim Federowicz, a former Dodgers catcher, knew about Sweeney’s strong defensive play but his hitting has impressed him the most. He also believes that the shortstop can start in the big leagues and make a difference for the Tigers.
“His potential is to be a starting shortstop,” Federowicz said. “You play defense like he does, and you are hitting like he is right now, if you keep that going, there is some true upside there. Hopefully, we can keep him going and eliminate any slumps he might go through and just see what he can do.”
Hopefully, Sweeney can make the most of the opportunity and savor every moment as he looks ahead to his big league debut.
Photo Credit: Nathan J. Fish/The Oklahoman/ USA Today Network
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