Detroit Tigers trade deadline: How 4 new Tigers prospects are doing so far

Travis Demeritte picks up first MLB hit, 3 pitchers play minor league games

Travis Demeritte #50 of the Detroit Tigers hits a fly ball during his first Major League at bat in the top of the second inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington on Aug. 2, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers acquired four new prospects in the trade deadline moves that sent Shane Greene to the Atlanta Braves and Nicholas Castellanos to the Chicago Cubs. All four of those players have officially made their debuts in the Tigers organization.

RF Travis Demeritte -- Detroit Tigers

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Travis Demeritte, the only offensive player acquired at the deadline, started in right field for all three of the Tigers' games against the Texas Rangers this weekend.

READ: Shane Greene blows first two games for Braves after nearly perfect four months with Tigers

Demeritte picked up his first career MLB hit Friday, ripping a triple down the left field line. He also drew a pair of walks and stole a base in what was a strong debut.

Travis Demeritte #50 of the Detroit Tigers prepares for his first Major League at bat in the top of the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington on Aug. 2, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

His second game was more of a mixed bag. Though he showed good plate discipline while drawing two more walks, Demeritte struck out in all three of his official at-bats.

An 0-for-4 effort Sunday left him with a poor .111 batting average but a strong .385 on-base percentage.

The Tigers scored four runs in all three games but got swept in Arlington.

LHP Joey Wentz -- Erie SeaWolves

The top-ranked player acquired by the Tigers at the deadline was the organization's new No. 10 prospect, Joey Wentz.

The left-hander joined Casey Mize, Matt Manning, Tarik Skubal and Alex Faedo in a star-studded Erie rotation and enjoyed a solid first start.

Wentz went five innings and allowed just one run on four hits and two walks. More importantly, he recorded six strikeouts on an excellent 20 swinging strikes.

It was a promising Tigers debut for Wentz, though he did allow a home run on 11 fly balls while only inducing two grounders.

RHP Paul Richan -- Lakeland Flying Tigers

Paul Richan's debut didn't go nearly as well. The Tigers' new No. 19 prospect allowed five earned runs on nine hits in five innings.

Richan showed some promising signs during the start, inducing 13 ground balls to eight fly balls and generating nine swinging strikes in 73 pitches.

Overall, it was a disappointing outing for the 22-year-old. He surrendered two home runs and allowed 10 batters to reach base.

RHP Alex Lange -- Erie SeaWolves

After being a starter his entire college and minor league career, the Tigers moved Alex Lange to the bullpen following the Castellanos trade.

Lange is the No. 29 prospect in the Tigers' organization. He made his first bullpen appearance Sunday for the SeaWolves and allowed one run on two hits in two innings.

Lange struck out three of the eight batters he faced and induced five swinging strikes on 28 pitches.

The Tigers believe his arsenal is better suited for the bullpen, and there are enough future starters in the system to test him in this role.

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About the Author:

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.