Cleveland Indians: Mike Aviles Signs With Detroit Tigers

Cleveland Indians’ fans will get to see fan favorite Mike Aviles next season more than once, but it may be a little hard to stomach as the eight-year veteran signed with the Detroit Tigers.

More from Away Back Gone

• Cleveland Guardians tantalizingly close to locking up AL Central tiebreakers
• Cleveland Guardians: Terry Francona becomes meme in profanity-laced ejection
• Say goodbye to defensive shifts and hello to bigger bases, pitch clock in 2023
• Cleveland Guardians: Shane Bieber second-fastest to 800 strikeouts in major-league history
• The next week will make or break the Cleveland Guardians’ season

A familiar face will stay in the Al Central next season, and Indians fans will have to deal with Aviles wearing a Tigers uniform. It’s a tall task, but he’s the type of player that very few will be able to root against, even if he is playing in Detroit.

Aviles was “Mr. Everything” for the Indians over the past three seasons, playing everywhere but catcher, first base and pitching (which several position players had to do last season). His numbers were never eye-popping, but it seemed Aviles was always making clutch plays or coming up with big hits. But it was what he played through that forever endeared him in the hearts of Indians’ fans.

One of Aviles’ twin daughters, Adriana, was diagnosed with leukemia early in the season. He missed time throughout the season to be with his family, but it was his family’s battle along with the Indians’ decisions that were one of the feel-good stories of an up and down season.

Prior to the trade deadline the Indians had inquiries about Aviles availability. At the time, the team didn’t look the be a contender, and the chance to get something back looked like a good proposition. But with Adriana receiving treatment at the Cleveland Clinic, the team refused to trade him and separate him from his family.

The Indians–from a personnel standpoint–took a loss to keep Aviles with his family while his daughter underwent treatment. But the franchise, while frustrating fans at times, showed there’s more to baseball than just business. The move was widely applauded from outside not just baseball, but from all sports. A team showed it’s “family”, even when most believe it’s simply about the bottom line.

Next: Indians acquire Otero from Phillies

It will be strange to see Aviles on the other side of the field, but while it will be impossible to cheer for the Tigers, everyone will still be pulling for him–truly one of baseball’s good guys.