The Detroit Tigers requested unconditional release waivers on utility man Brandon Dixon on Thursday, allowing him to pursue an opportunity to play in Japan.
Dixon, 28, played in just five games with the Tigers in 2020 and had a double in 13 at-bats. He is a career .228 hitter over 196 games in three seasons with the Cincinnati Reds and Tigers.
His 15 home runs in 2019 led the Tigers, however.
The Detroit Free Press reported he would be joining the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in the Nippon Professional Baseball’s Pacific League.
An Arizona product, Dixon is a former third-round pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2013 and was traded to the Reds in December 2015 in a three-team deal that also included the Chicago White Sox.
The move trims the Tigers’ 40-man roster to 36 players.
