Tigers Claim Former Top Prospect Off Waivers
The Tigers announced that they have claimed outfielder James Outman from Minnesota, transferring Javier Baez to the 60-day injured list to open the 40-man roster spot.
Outman is likely heading to Triple-A Toledo.
Former Dodger news: James Outman has been claimed by the Detroit Tigers on waivers.
— Nelson Espinal (@nelson__espinal) June 11, 2026
Since his amazing 2023, when he was valued at 3.4 bWAR, he has been awful at the plate.
He hit .156/.229/.250 with the Twins this year before being DFA'd.
Outman gets another chance to stick… pic.twitter.com/zZnkQMulxr
The Third Organization in Thirteen Months
The claim continues one of the more dispiriting downward arcs in recent baseball memory for a player who looked like a legitimate everyday center fielder less than three years ago.
Outman hit .248 with 23 home runs, 70 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases across 151 games for the Dodgers in 2023, finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting, and played strong defense in center field.
The Twins traded for him last July, giving up reliever Brock Stewart to acquire a player they hoped would rediscover his form in a lower-pressure environment.
It did not happen.
James Outman was DFA’d by the Twins today after hitting .151 with a .526 OPS in 86 games since they traded for him
— AT (@BaseballWRLD_) June 6, 2026
His 3rd place NL ROY season will not be forgotten pic.twitter.com/zN9FWoXd6Y
Outman slashed .156/.229/.250 across 70 plate appearances in Minnesota, striking out at a rate above 41 percent, and was designated for assignment earlier this month when Royce Lewis returned from Triple-A.
Detroit is now his third American League Central organization.
He is 29 years old, can play all three outfield positions, has played mostly center field, and has no remaining minor league options, meaning if he is promoted to the big league roster at any point the Tigers cannot send him back down without going through waivers again.
The Tigers are 29-40 but have won seven of their last nine games, and with Tarik Skubal expected to come off the injured list Saturday, they are quietly back in the AL Central conversation.
Photo Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
