LAKELAND, Fla. — A cheerful Jonathan Schoop bounced around Monday morning in the Detroit Tigers' clubhouse. He checked in with his teammates, chatted with new shortstop Javier Baez and took the field for practice.
Schoop, for the first time in his Tigers career, wasn't late to spring training. In years past, work visa issues — the downside of signing one-year deals late into the offseason — delayed his travels plans from Curaçao.
The 30-year-old second baseman signed a two-year contract extension last August, keeping him in Detroit through the 2023 season.