Former Tigers slugger getting big payday in Japan

When the Detroit Tigers signed Renato Nunez just before spring training, some thought he would end up being the club’s regular first baseman.

He played nearly every day for the Baltimore Orioles in 2019 and 2020, blasting 43 home runs in 815 plate appearances.

But things didn’t work out for Nunez in Detroit. He failed to make the club out of spring training, got only sporadic opportunities during the season and was released in August when the arrival of prospect Spencer Torkelson made things increasingly crowded at Triple-A Toledo.

Now he’s heading overseas for a big payday and more opportunities.

The 27-year-old native of Venezuela has signed a one-year, $1.6 million contract with the Nippon-Ham Fighters, according to multiple reports, including Yahoo Japan.

That’s more than he’s made in any season in the big leagues and far more than he would have made on a minor-league deal in the States in 2022.

Two ex-Tigers -- right-handed pitcher Drew VerHagen and infielder Ronny Rodriguez -- played for the Fighters in 2021, although it’s unclear if they’ll be back in 2022.

The Fighters recently hired former MLB player Tsuyoshi Shinjo to serve as manager.

Nunez was well-liked by teammates and praised by manager A.J. Hinch for his professionalism, but he ultimately hit just .189 with four homers in 55 plate appearances in 2021. He struck out 16 times and walked once.

Why did a relatively young player with a track record as an above-average hitter and a reputation as a good teammate find so few opportunities last year?

To find everyday at-bats as a first baseman/designated hitter, you have to be really good -- not just above average.

The Tigers already had Miguel Cabrera on the roster, and with just a three-man bench for most of the season, Hinch needed someone with more flexibility, rather than someone who just duplicated Cabrera’s role.

“He’s a big-league player and has put up numbers and answered the question of whether or not he can compete at the major-league level,” Hinch said of Nunez earlier in the season.

Now he’ll get a chance to prove his worth in Japan. Foreign players Brandon Laird and Leonys Martin (a former Tiger) were among the league’s top sluggers in 2021. Nunez’s name could be on that list in 2022.