Detroit Tigers Trade Homegrown Prospect to Los Angeles Dodgers
Andre Lipcius, who had been with the Detroit Tigers throughout his professional career, was recently traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a cash deal.
The Detroit Tigers have traded infielder Andre Lipcius to the Los Angeles Dodgers for cash considerations as confirmed by the team on Monday afternoon.
For the completion of the trade, Detroit did not need to make any further moves, whereas Los Angeles had to make room on their 40-man roster to accommodate Lipcius. The Dodgers accomplished this by placing left-handed pitcher Clayton Kershaw on the 60-day injured list as he continues his recovery from shoulder surgery during the offseason.
On February 29, the Tigers designated Lipcius for assignment when they acquired infielder Buddy Kennedy off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals.
During Spring Training, Lipcius played in five Grapefruit League games and went 1-for-8 with a double, a walk, an RBI, and five strikeouts.
Detroit drafted Lipcius in the third round of the 2019 MLB Draft after he completed a successful college career at Tennessee, where he concluded with an impressive .985 OPS during his junior year.
Following his collegiate success, Lipcius participated in the Tigers’ major league Spring Training camp the subsequent spring and earned the No. 24 prospect ranking within the team’s farm system later in that year.
Although Lipcius posted respectable stats in the minor leagues, he did not rapidly ascend the rankings and did not make his MLB debut until September 2023. During his 13 games with the Tigers, Lipcius batted .286 with one home run, four RBI, and a .742 OPS. However, his defensive performance at third base resulted in a negative four defensive runs saved, lowering his WAR to -0.3.
At the Double-A level, Lipcius holds a .248 batting average with 18 home runs, 85 RBI, and a .752 OPS over 182 games. Conversely, in 144 Triple-A appearances, he boasts a .281 batting average with 14 home runs, 82 RBI, and an .800 OPS.
In 2023, the 25-year-old Lipcius played at first, second, and third base, along with a few outings in left field.
Considering the congestion in the Dodgers’ major league roster, Lipcius is expected to begin the 2024 season in Triple-A, despite his versatility across different positions on the field.
