Garneau announced Monday via his personal Twitter account that he will retire from professional baseball.
The 35-year-old's decision to step away from the game comes after he spent the majority of the 2022 season in the minors, aside from appearing in eight games with Detroit in April. Garneau will retire with a career .205/.285/.373 slash line in 506 plate appearances over parts of eight seasons in the majors with the Rockies, Athletics, White Sox, Angels, Astros and Tigers.
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Dustin Garneau: Hits open market
Rotowire
Garneau elected free agency Thursday, per the MILB transaction log.
Garneau lost his spot on Detroit's 40-man roster in early May and spent the rest of the season with Triple-A Toledo. Across 506 career plate appearances at the big-league level, Garneau has hit .205/.285/.373.
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Tigers' Dustin Garneau: Outrighted to minors
Rotowire
The Tigers outrighted Garneau to Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday.
Garneau cleared waivers after the Tigers designated him for assignment earlier in the week in a move that allowed Detroit to reduce its active roster from 28 to 26 men. He'll likely be the first in line for a promotion back to the big club if the Tigers are without either of their top two catchers -- Tucker Barnhart and Eric Haase -- for any period of time.
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Tigers' Dustin Garneau: Designated for assignment
Rotowire
Garneau was designated for assignment by the Tigers on Monday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
With the team having to thin their active roster from 28 to 26 players Monday, Garneau was an odd man out. The catcher has had 10 at-bats this season, recording three hits, including a double. He will now be released outright, get claimed by another team or report to Triple-A Toledo.
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Tigers' Dustin Garneau: Starting Saturday
Rotowire
Garneau is starting at catcher and batting eighth in Saturday's game against the Royals.
Tucker Barnhart will get the day off after starting Friday's contest. Garneau hasn't played much yet this season, recording just four at-bats across three games. He won't be much of a fantasy factor unless his role in Detroit expands.
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Tigers' Dustin Garneau: Secures contract for '22
Rotowire
Garneau and the Tigers agreed Tuesday on a one-year, $1.175 million contract to avoid arbitration, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Garneau will be making north of $1 million in 2022 despite being projected to head into Opening Day as the Tigers' No. 3 catcher behind Tucker Barnhart and Eric Haase. The Tigers value Haase for his bat more than his work behind the plate, so if Detroit is willing to give Haase opportunities at first base, designated hitter or in left field, Garneau would still have a path to one or two starts per week at catcher on days when Barnhart is resting.
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Tigers' Dustin Garneau: Might make team as third catcher
Rotowire
Detroit manager A.J. Hinch could elect to keep three catchers on the roster, which would help Garneau carve out a role with the club, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
The Tigers acquired Tucker Barnhart in November to work as the team's No. 1 catcher, and Eric Haase should have a prominent role after popping a career-best 22 home runs last season. Haase can also play at first and in the corner outfield spots, so Garneau may stick around as more of a conventional backup catcher on days when Haase plays elsewhere. Still, Garneau likely won't play enough to have much fantasy relevance in 2022.
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Tigers' Dustin Garneau: Retreats to bench
Rotowire
Garneau is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the White Sox.
Garneau caught each of the Tigers' last three games and five of the last six, going 3-for-15 with three home runs and a walk. The 34-year-old journeyman's recent power spike looks like it will afford him at least a part-time role for the Tigers, even though he's behind Eric Haase on the depth chart. The Tigers' willingness to deploy Haase in left field and at designated hitter will open up more work behind the dish for Garneau compared to most backup catchers.
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Tigers' Dustin Garneau: Starting Sunday
Rotowire
Garneau is starting at catcher and batting eighth in Sunday's game against the Rays.
Eric Haase moves from behind the plate to left field, so Garneau will pick up the start at catcher. He's slashing .262/.289/.714 with five home runs in 14 games this season, so he has been able to provide some fantasy value when he's in the starting lineup.
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Tigers' Dustin Garneau: Smacks homer in win
Rotowire
Garneau went 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI in Wednesday's 4-1 win over Milwaukee.
Garneau gave Detroit a lead with a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning, and he added a solo shot in the seventh to provide insurance. The catcher has been solid in limited action with four homers, seven RBI, six runs scored and a .278 batting average through 12 games this year. The 34-year-old remains behind Eric Haase on the depth chart.
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Tigers' Dustin Garneau: Hits first 2021 home run
Rotowire
Garneau went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's loss to the Athletics.
Garneau went deep in the fifth inning for his first home run of the season. He's now played in seven games for the Tigers and has a .263/.263/.526 slash line. Eric Haase has established himself as the team's primary catcher, so Garneau will have limited fantasy value moving forward in a reserve role, though that could change if anything happens to Haase.
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Tigers' Dustin Garneau: Sinks to second on depth chart
Rotowire
Garneau will start at catcher and bat eighth Sunday against the Blue Jays.
Heading into the weekend, Garneau had started at catcher in three of the Tigers' prior four contests, but he'll serve as the No. 2 option moving forward after Eric Haase returned from the injured list Friday. After he was behind the plate for the first two games of the series with Toronto, Haase will get a routine maintenance day Sunday, affording Garneau a turn in the lineup.
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Tigers' Dustin Garneau: Not starting Tuesday
Rotowire
Garneau is not in the lineup for Tuesday's series opener in St. Louis.
The new Tigers catcher has gone 3-for-9 with a double and a run scored in four games. Grayson Greiner will start behind the dish and bat seventh Tuesday.
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Tigers' Dustin Garneau: Getting another start
Rotowire
Garneau will start at catcher and bat eighth Sunday against the Blue Jays.
Since being acquired from the Rockies on Wednesday and having his contract selected by the Tigers, Garneau has picked up three starts in four games. Based on his recent usage, the 34-year-old backstop looks like he'll be the No. 1 catcher ahead of Grayson Greiner until Eric Haase (back) returns from the injured list.
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Tigers' Dustin Garneau: Dealt to Tigers
Rotowire
The Tigers acquired Garneau from the Rockies in exchange for cash considerations Wednesday, Nick Groke of The Athletic reports. Detroit will select his contract and add him to the 40-man roster and 26-man active roster.
Since joining the Rockies on a minor-league deal in late July, Garneau played 11 games for Triple-A Albuquerque and hit .229 with one home run and six RBI. With No. 1 catcher Eric Haase (back) nursing an injury, Garneau will provide the Tigers with another healthy option at the position beyond Grayson Greiner. The 33-year-old Garneau, who hit .158 in 17 games with Houston last season, likely won't make more than a couple starts per week in place of Greiner if Haase requires a stint on the injured list.
Garneau signed a minor-league contract with the Rockies on Wednesday, Nick Groke of The Athletic reports.
Garneau was let go by the Tigers on Thursday, but he'll land another minor-league deal less than a week later. The 33-year-old played for the Rockies during the first three seasons of his career, and he'll report to Triple-A Albuquerque going forward.
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Dustin Garneau: Becomes free agent
Rotowire
The Tigers released Garneau from his minor-league contract Thursday.
Garneau was sidelined for most of May with a fractured wrist, but he returned to action for Toledo in early June and was slashing .176/.283/.431 across 60 plate appearances with the affiliate on the season. Toledo already had Grayson Greiner and Juan Centeno on the roster as options at catcher, rendering the 33-year-old Garneau somewhat redundant. Garneau will look to land a minor-league deal with an organization lacking in catching depth at the Triple-A level.
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Tigers' Dustin Garneau: Heads to alternate site
Rotowire
The Tigers reassigned Garneau on Tuesday to their alternate training site in Toledo.
Garneau will be joined at the alternate site by fellow backstop Eric Haase after both players missed out on winning either of the available catching jobs with Detroit this spring. Both Garneau and Haase are expected to be part of the Triple-A Toledo roster when the minor-league season begins in May.
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Tigers' Dustin Garneau: Invited to spring training
Rotowire
Garneau signed a minor-league contract with the Tigers on Wednesday as a non-roster invitee.
Garneau was unable to generate much production as the Astros' backup catcher in 2020, slashing .158/.273/.289 with one home run and four RBI over 46 plate appearances. He'll get to work with the Tigers' major-league coaching staff during spring training while attempting to secure a roster spot in the big leagues.
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Astros' Dustin Garneau: Goes deep in nightcap
Rotowire
Garneau went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a second run scored in the nightcap of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Angels.
The Astros split up the catching duties for the doubleheader, as Martin Maldonado caught the first game. Garneau's home run was his first of the season, and his appearance was just the ninth in 31 games.
