Kyle Lobstein went into the offseason as one of the Tigers’ insurance starters in case of injury, a role he has filled capably the last couple seasons. Instead, the lanky left-hander will go into Spring Training as a Pittsburgh Pirate, traded by Detroit on Monday for cash considerations.
The Tigers designated Lobstein’s contract for assignment Friday night to make room for Mike Aviles on the 40-man roster. Detroit had 10 days to either trade, release or outright Lobstein to the minor leagues. An outright assignment would’ve hinged on Lobstein clearing waivers. Considering waivers go in reverse order of finish, he almost got through, before being claimed by the team with baseball’s second-best record in 2015.