The Detroit Tigers lost two players to waiver claims Friday afternoon as all Major League teams begin to tweak and shape their 40-man rosters in preparation for 2015. The Toronto Blue Jays claimed outfielder Andy Dirks, and the Baltimore Orioles picked up left-handed reliever Pat McCoy off waivers from the Tigers. 

Dirks spent the entire 2014 season on the disabled list due to two major injuries. He underwent back surgery on March 10 to repair a disk. Then, in August, a hamstring strain ended his rehab attempt to make a comeback this season. He managed to play in 14 Minor League games between the two injuries.

MLB.com's Joey Nowak reported Friday that the Blue Jays claimed Dirks, who is a career .276/.332/.413 hitter with 24 HR, 47 2B, 7 3B, 13 SB, and 100 RBI in at least parts of three Major League seasons, all with the Tigers. He has played a total of 297 Major League games. Most of his action has come as a left fielder, but he can play all three outfield positions, making him a potentially valuable fourth outfielder and left-handed pinch hitter with decent speed. 

Meanwhile, Nowak also reported Friday that the Baltimore Orioles claimed McCoy to potentially add to their bullpen. McCoy made his Major League debut with the Tigers in 2014, pitching 14 total innings spread out over 14 appearances with more than half of those innings coming in August. He had no win-loss record but did post a very respectable 3.86 ERA (six runs in 14 innings). However, he allowed 2.43 base runners per inning (21 hits, 13 walks), and his penchant for the strikeout helped get him out of some self-induced jams. 

The 26-year-old McCoy was the Washington Nationals' 10th-round draft pick in June of 2007. In eight Minor League seasons, he is 19-20 with a 4.49 ERA and 1.46 WHIP. 

VAVEL Logo
About the author
Raymond Bureau
Raymond became a baseball fan at a very young age. He played baseball through high school and soon after became a varsity coach. He is now the P.A. announcer at his high school where he teaches. Raymond previously produced radio sports talk shows and hosted a weekly MLB radio call-in show. His favorite teams are the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees. Raymond is a devoted husband, father, and Christ follower. His life verses are Philippians 4:13, John 14:6, and Isaiah 41:10.