Some of baseball’s top prospects have made their MLB debuts within the last week, but don’t expect any of the Tigers’ top minor leaguers to be appearing in 2025. In an interview with MLB Network this past week (hat tip to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press), Tigers GM Jon Greenberg said a call-up of shortstop prospect Kevin McGonigle is likely not “on the radar right now,” and Greenberg also downplayed the possibility of Max Clark or Josue Briceno arriving in the majors.
“They’ve only been in Double-A for a month. It’s been fewer than 30 games,” the GM said. “Really excited with what Kevin has done, really excited with what Max has done, and some of the other guys in our system. But right now, the focus is on their development and getting the reps to continue to take those steps forward.”
MLB Pipeline and Baseball America each rank McGonigle as the second-best prospect in baseball, Clark ninth, and Briceno also in a prominent top-100 spot (Pipeline has him 32nd, BA 54th). As Greenberg noted, none of the group has much experience even at the Double-A level, though McGonigle and Clark have both been on fire at the plate since their call-up. While it seems like a further promotion to Triple-A could be possible before the 2025 season is through, any of these top prospects would very likely have to further excel in Toledo, and then the Tigers would have to feel confident enough to install any of these rookies right into the extra pressure of a postseason push. There isn’t much urgency for Detroit to make such an aggressive prospect promotion, as the Tigers have a 10.5-game division lead and look to be cruising towards the AL Central crown.
More from within the division…
- A rotator cuff strain sent Cole Ragans to the injured list in early June, but the Royals southpaw seems to be making good progress towards a late-season return. Manager Matt Quatraro told MLB.com’s Anne Rogers and other reporters that things went “really well” during a 30-pitch bullpen for Ragans on Thursday, which was Ragans’ fourth pen session. The next step is an “up-down” session today. Since Ragans will surely need at least couple of minor league rehab outings as the final stage of his recovery process, it would seem like the second week of September would be the absolute earliest Ragans might be able to return to the K.C. rotation. While a timeline is still very fluid, getting Ragans back would be a late boost to a Royals team that has won 14 of its last 22 games to surge back into the wild card race.
- The White Sox called catcher Korey Lee up from Triple-A yesterday, creating what is technically a bit of a logjam since Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero are already both on the active roster. However, manager Will Venable told reporters (including Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun-Times) that having a third catcher available gives the Sox the ability to have both Teel and Quero in the lineup at catcher and DH, without worrying that an injury would leave the team short-handed during a game. Naturally the White Sox want to see as much as they can from both Teel and Quero in their rookie seasons, as the former top prospects both appear to be key pieces of Chicago’s rebuild, even if there’s still a lingering question about who will eventually emerge as the regular catcher.
I’m expecting to see Hao Yu Lee and/or Max Anderson up for a cup of coffee this fall. One of them will likely be taking over 2B for the Tigers in 2026…
NOT happening. First, both do not have roster spots. We already have some issues regarding whom do you DFA/release if and when Cobb and Urquidy are ready to come off of the 60 day IL. Then the possibility of Seward and Olson could be ready as well. That leaves no room to add someone from off the 40 man roster for a September call up. Add to that the fact that you get only 2 call ups and most teams will add the one pitcher allowed. Whether Anderson or Lee play 2B next year, we’ll see. But neither will likely get a call to the bigs this year.
Your observation about the 40-man roster crunch trumps all the other factors. They would permanently lose some decent players if they prematurely add these prospects to the roster.
If Torres is not resighned, then Keith will be back at 2nd and the hope at 3rd will still need to be filled. Believe Flaherty will exercise his $25M option as doubt any other team will offer him more. The offseason will be interesting as it will set the Tigers up for 2026 & 2027 until these AA prospects arrive in 2028
No way it takes them till 2028 to reach the majors that would be another whole season at AA and 2 at AAA that’s not happening
Wow! You really do think that there will be a season in 2027.
These AA prospects will likely be up at some point in 2026 not 2028
I just noticed, besides Skubal, the Tigers are set to lose Mize after the ’26 season. Both will be FA’s. Flaherty will go after ’26 too.
The Tigers, if not this year, it will be next to win it all. After that, they’re going to have a lot of reloading to do.
It sounds like they might be looking at keeping Keith at 3B (recentcarticle said his defense has been good and iffen e on an uptick). That fills that gaping hole and would make it easier to work Jung, Lee or even Anderson in at 2B, which is probably a better spot for all three.
I’ve seen a little of Anderson in the minors and 1 game with Lee (I know, what do I know) and my amateur take is Anderson has better bat to ball skills and appears more agile at 2B. Lee has a little pop in his bat, but some swing and miss too.
I agree that Keith at 3rd is not a bad idea. I’m going to guess Anderson gets a shot to be Mr. Second Base Man. Tigers will not suffer with Javy at SS for another couple years.
McGonigal looks like a legit SS. But ultimately, and I hope he gets healthy and jumps right back on the horse, Reiner is the best of the lot. Really early, but that kid looks like another Bobby Witt, Jr. kind of player.
That’s how I see things happening. Keith’s body type is better-suited for 3B than 2B IMO.
Can Tigers extend QO to Torres and get draft pick if he declines & signs elsewhere?
Yes. I think they will too.
Anderson should get a shot in that case but they would also have more to trade in the off season . They’re about to have great depth at short , catcher and first but still need more outfield contributions other than max
The Tigers are going to need pitching. I’ll be stunned if they resign Skubal. He’s gone. I also highly doubt the Tigers trade him unless they are hopelessly out of the race come July next year.
They’re probably going to lose Casey Mize too. He’s a FA after ’26 too.
Can Reese Olson stay healthy? So far, no.
Flaherty will be in the rotation next year, but not after ’26. That’s 3 current starters who will probably not be there in ’27.
Jobe will be back for the ’27 campaign. Hopefully, Melton can step up (and his UCL doesn’t break) in ’27.
I don’t see a ton of swing and miss starters in the Tiger farm system currently.
How. much does Olsen weigh?
McGonigle will at the very least be a late season call up next year if not before. There’s a near 0 chance that Briceno & Clark arent in the Majors by mid to late 27.
There is pretty 0% chance that all 3 are still trying to break thru by 2028. That would contradict every thing we have seen in their development and promotion rate the past two seasons.
It its 2028 when they first appear its because of major catastrophic injury or an unprecedented complete collapse of skills
It would be interesting though if an infielder got injured. Specifically at 2b or 3rd. I wouldn’t think Harris would bring up an outfield only player. There’s Jung. Wouldn’t want Andy playing everyday especially against righties. If anyone, it would have to be M.Anderson.
When is MLB gonna wisen up and allow teams to position-switch a DH mid-game? Teams who want to DH a catcher for a day wouldn’t have to worry about this 3 catcher situation anymore and possibly keep the starting caliber catchers healthy.
I meannnn, we have the Ohtani Rule to help one team, so why not a DH Rule to help the other 29 like you say, kev?
They can already switch the DH into the catcher spot if they want. They just lose the DH and have to hit for the pitcher the rest of the game. No problem if they lose a catcher in the 8th inning, but more if it happens in an early inning.
Therein lies the point of an amendment or rule change here, Rox. Why should a team be “punished” early in a game if they just lost a player to injury?
Its not a punishment. Its just bad luck. Its just like a long rain delay in the second inning. Losing the starting pitcher is not punishment either.
I disagree on the equating of a rain delay to an on-the-field injury and substitution handcuff. One of those can be amended via a rule change; the other is an uncontrollable event of nature.
Losing a player to injury is always a punishment of sorts. If a team is super-scared of that possibility, they can carry 3 catchers or never start their other catcher at DH. Or carry a position player who can catch in an emergency, like Daulton Varsho.
And I expect there would be ways teams could game your suggested rule to get better matchups mid-game. You would need to add some additional requirement to avoid convenient fake injuries, like that the catcher being replaced has to go on the IL if such a move is made.
All fine and dandy stipulations. I can’t foresee a team “faking” a catcher injury, but some rules need those sorts of bylaws in place. Maybe a 7 day IL placement at minimum? Cheers
I think an IL stint is too much, but maybe that C (or whichever other player the DH is coming in for, probably 1B, maybe RF) can’t play the next three games. I don’t think there’s a huge risk of that sort of shenanigans, though. I’d be in favor of an amendment in case of injury, but barring that, leave the DH switch rule as is.
@ahh-rox -Nobody does that though because no team wants their their pitcher hitting (other than Ohtani of course) and/or have to eat through their bench quicker.for pinch hitting. the main crux of my argument is to have the best talent on the roster and stay healthy. those off days or half off-days while DHing seem to mean something or teams wouldn’t implement
Lorenzen is no slouch either,but obviously not a unicorn like Ohntani 😉
For some reason, Yahoo Fantasy still has 2 different “players” for him. Michael Lorenzen (Pitcher) and Michael Lorenzen (Hitter). I wonder when his last AB was
The Tigers wouldn’t let him hit when he was there. Not sure after that.
That change would kinda render the “designated” part of “designated hitter” unnecessary.
@soxygen – not necessarily, because until they are switched, they are the designated hitter. which for most teams I imagine they would probably not use this most games, but to at least have the option
Would you take Gleyber back on a 2 yr deal?
Pretty sure he’s gone but I think of the Flaherty off season where nobody wanted him at his price. Ideally I’d take him back in a 1 yr.
Would Gleyber accept a two year deal? I’d do it in a heartbeat if he would. In two years, the hope is that Rainer is the starting SS and Mac moves over to 2nd
In 2 yrs we might only have Keith and Dingler locked into a position. McG, Anderson, and Brisceno might be the new guys.
Rainer would be a bonus. We just have to keep in mind that out of all these guys including M.Clark- probably only 1 maybe 2 are actually going to pan out. And even then, how good will they actually be? Superstars or serviceable will be a huge question.
Tobiwan…I think they have some much depth on the infield that even if only 2 or 3 worked out they’d be in great shape and if more work out some can shift to the OF. I’m really excited about a lot of young players in the minors and not just their top 10. Guys like Seth Stephenson and Pacheco look like they could develop into potential pieces down the road, with more wild cards like Dumesnil to follow. What a great farm system! It’s a good time to be a Tigers fan.
I would, but I see Torres getting a 3 yr. deal for at least $20 mil each.
Clark, Briceno, Liranzo, and McGonigle have yet to play in AAA. They are not getting call ups so not sure why anyone would think the team with the best record in the AL would bring up untested kids. Yea, I get that they are exciting talents..
The new rules make it difficult for teams to give kids that “cup of coffee” in September. You get 2 and only one can be a pitcher. Now add to that a pennant race. Tigers are going to call up players that can help them right now win in September, clinch their division and hopefully that first round bye. Guys already on the 40 man.
It would not be unprecedented for one of the “Big 3” to skip AAA entirely. We’ve seen it across MLB several times, increasingly, over past decade. A lot of MLB brain power believes that the most significant development happens at AA, as without the age restrictions AAA is more of a league with a lot of low-ceiling, mid-floor “4-a” type of guys and AA has a significantly higher percentage of “high ceiling/unrealized potential” young players.
I mean Jobe had all of 2 appearances at AAA before his MLB promotion, and that was for a starter that often takes a longer development path
Mcgonigle reminds me a lot of Jose Ramirez. Obviously that would be a high end outcome for him as a prospect and he doesn’t steal bases like Ramirez and Ramirez is a really good defender at 3b, but he seems like a special hitter in a compact body like Ramirez
The Dodgers and couple of other teams need a second baseman. They say Torres can get $20+. That makes it difficult for the Tigers, because that sets the bar for all Tigers, most of whom are same age, emerging skill sets..etc….
I don’t think Illich can/will do that.
That sets a price for Greene and the others pretty high and not likely to happen.
If somebody wants to pay Gleyber $20+ mill. for multiple years, they can have him. I think he belongs here, but a 29 year old 2B with a .750 OPS is not going to fetch $20 mill. a year for 5 or 6 years. If he can get it, more power to him and buh-bye!
He’ll want to at least hit 10 years service time for MLB pension…..he has ~7 now.
I hope Gleyber gets a good deal. He has been a great addition for the Tigers this year a d fits with this team. I wouldn’t be sad if they re-signed him at a reasonable rate for 3-5 years, but not at $20 mil a year.
They have three cheaper in house replacements at AAA in Lee, Jung and Anderson. Gleyber is better but I wonder if a Lee/McKinistry type combo wouldn’t get you similar results at a fraction of the cost. Save the $$$ and spend it on Skubal!
Go to a minor league game and see Lee for yourself? I don’t think he is what you envision. Kind of a heavy set dude but not big.
Sounds like Jose Ramirez!
Bring up prospects early?
Why would they? Does the team need the boost? Does someone stink so bad, they need to be replaced? Is a prospect that hot? Bring him up as a favor to him, because.he is expected to have that storied of a career?
There’s a HUGE promotional aspect to bringing up a prospect…. Tiger fans survived off of that hope for 10 years……
Will the front office play that now with this team, this year? Or keep it in pocket for later use?
Someone’s career, life story, MLB history, the history of the country and the world…..decisions to be made by….
The Tigers’ GM.
Weird, huh?
The only true prospect who hasn’t had a shot yet that I can see them adding is Lee. But I don’t see where they would put him. With the positions he plays full with starters and backups that limits him to being a pinch hitter. Unkess theyvwant him to experience the pksyoffs like Jung did last year. Speaking of that, Jung has had chances but I could see him getting the call as well.
With the Tigers playing good team baseball again, today’s start for Paddock will be very telling as far as him being a part of this rotation down the stretch and possible playoffs.
I watched yesterdays game with Mize… Once again that guy is just afraid to pitch in the zone. He cannot put batters away. This has been an issue since before the ASG. He might not make the playoff roster. At least Flaherty can put guys away. We need a 4th starter… And if it’s not going to be Melton or Oquirdy then it’s gotta be Paddack.
Mize has the 2nd most wins in the AL, and you’re concerned? I couldn’t watch last night, however, the the radio broadcast was berating the ump for his tight zone on both sides. When your bad outing is still a quality start, there’s little to complain about. Your 4 for the playoffs will be Mize, Skubal, Morton, and Flaherty. I’m doubtful of Paddack staying on the roster thru the regular season.
Jobe was promoted last year and played, same can happen with McGonigle, who will most likely be Detroits shortstop next year
Id rather see the White Sox bring up someone else for a peek, like the ‘other’ Montgomery, Maybe on Sept 1st….
The White Sox have a bit of a dilemma on their hands with Quero and Teel, but lets see how these guys do after an off season of pitchers studying them.. My fear is with their recent resurgence of bats, the White Sox give all that credit to Thames, who I do not think really deserves it, and then their bats revert next season to what they were in the first half of this season.
The other Montgomery looks like he will be a really solid player. I really liked the looks of him at the draft last year and would have been good with the Tigers picking him if Rainer hadn’t been available. Maybe your ChiSox will use some of their catching surplus in the offseason to fill other needs? Who stays? Tell? Query? Lee?
Easy, its Teel and Quero, at least right now, both are far more talented than Lee, who has never seemed to reach his potential. That said, lets see how the league adapts to both players over the off season and then their adjustments.I get that both cannot play at catcher, but I fail to see why they would move either and not move one to DH or to share the load, as I do not trust this org to make the right choice.
Though I agree, as much as I do not like it, one probably should be moved for more pieces.
If I HAD to pick one of the two (Teel or Quero) to stay, it would be Teel at this point, for his energy he brings and the apparent leadership he has, even though Quero is a switch hitter. Both I believe are good catchers, work well with the pitchers, and have good arms. I think the Sox should take another season to really see who is best of the two, but I think it will be a hard choice if it comes time to trade one of them.
There’s even the possibility that Teel moves to LF. He’s athletic enough to handle it. Quero seems to have made bigger strides in his receiving so far, but it’s obviously very early in both of their careers.
I agree, though, that it’s Teel narrowly over Quero if they could keep only one, then Lee way from there. Aside from terrific pop times, what does he really have as a calling card?
MCBB, they won’t trade either Quero or Teel this offseason, not unless they get absolutely blown away by an offer. It’s too early to tell which of them will be the better C and there are options in which they coexist. As far as looking to improve the team, they’re just starting to turn the corner on their rebuild. They’ll probably lose 100+ again this year, but maybe aim for only 90 next year if things go well. They’re just not yet at the point where you trade a potential C of the future with 5 years of control left.
Now, Lee might go. Won’t bring back much, but I could see him getting moved for some middle reliever prospect or a high-risk lottery ticket.
No on bringing up Montgomery. He’s already on his third level of the year and has fewer than 100 PA’s in AA and none in AAA. It’s not like the Sox are just one player away from a surprise playoff run, either.
I’d like to see him get comfortable enough with minor league pitching that his power comes back, especially as a lefty. He has 7 HR’s in 124 PA’s as a righty, only 5 in 348 as a lefty. In his last year at Texas A&M, he hit 27 HR’s in 295 PA’s. This year, he’s had 472 PA’s and only 12 HR’s. The BA and OBP are good and he’s hit enough 2B’s, but he’s been more good than dominant. Let him run out the year at AA, go into the offseason with a short list of things to fix,
Like MCBB, I think he’ll be a pretty good player, but there’s no sense in rushing him. If he’s ready by next June, I’ll consider that fast enough.