The opportunities Detroit Tigers catcher Jake Rogers received — or didn't receive — in 2020 were perplexing.
A key piece from the Houston Astros in the 2017 Justin Verlander trade, the Tigers gave Rogers 35 games in 2019 to get a taste of the big leagues. The thought was that he would make the team out of July's summer camp and learn from veteran Austin Romine as his backup.
But Rogers — the team's No. 12 prospect, ranked by MLB Pipeline — didn't get one day on the active roster. He spent the entire season at the alternate training site in Toledo, watching from afar as Romine, Grayson Greiner and Eric Haase took reps in the majors.