Tigers promote Don Kelly to Major League scout

Don Kelly, everyone’s favorite utility player, has solidified his place in the Tigers organization. After signing on to work in Player Development and Scouting for the 2017 season, Kelly has now been promoted to full-time Major League Scouting for the 2018 season.

Kelly played for the Tigers from 2009-14, and retired from baseball following the 2016 season. During his tenure with the Tigers he had a .234/.297/.334 line and played every position on the field with the exception of shortstop. While he was never considered a breakout star, he won the hearts of fans with his aw-shucks charm and a likable demeanor that he projected both on and off the field.

In addition to Kelly’s promotion the Tigers announced several other new additions to the analytics and scouting department. Joining Kelly as scouts are Jim Elliott, who has a combined 21 years of scouting experience; and Paul Mirocke, who has a combined 27 years of scouting experience.

There is also a Bless You Boys connection in the new hire pool. Danny Vargovick is a former writer for our blog, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to see his name among those listed for Analyst jobs. Congrats Danny! (Take a look back at his 2015 predictions for next season. He was pretty close.)

These new acquisitions certainly seem to suggest the Tigers are serious about building their farm up and paying closer attention to analytics and sabermetrics as they go through the rebuild.