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Tigers Announce Several Transactions, Finalize Opening Day Roster

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The Tigers announced a landslide of roster moves Wednesday as they set their Opening Day roster. Most notable among them is the formal selection of top prospect Spencer Torkelson’s contract. It was already known that Torkelson, the No. 1 overall pick from the 2020 draft and a consensus top-five prospect in all of baseball, would make the Opening Day roster, but his promotion to the big leagues is now official.

Detroit also selected the contracts of right-handers Drew Hutchison, Jacob Barnes and Will Vest. In a series of corresponding 40-man roster moves, Detroit designated left-hander Miguel Del Pozo for assignment and placed catcher Jake Rogers (recovering from Tommy John surgery), Spencer Turnbull (recovering from Tommy John surgery) and Jose Cisnero (strained right shoulder) on the 60-day injured list.

The Tigers also announced an additional series of placements on the 10-day injured list: lefty Andrew Chafin (groin strain), outfielder Derek Hill (hamstring strain) and righty Kyle Funkhouser (shoulder strain) are all beginning the season on the 10-day IL. Top outfield prospect Riley Greene is being placed on the minor league injured list after fracturing his foot late in Spring Training. The Tigers also announced that righty Elvin Rodriguez made the roster over infielder Willi Castro, and the team has assigned veteran right-handers Chase Anderson (Triple-A) and Wily Peralta (Class-A Advanced) to minor league affiliates to begin the year.

None of Hutchison, Vest or Barnes has an extensive track record of big league success, but they’ve all logged MLB action in the past and will give Detroit some bullpen depth early in the season, particularly while Cisnero sits out at least the first two months of the season mending a shoulder injury. That absence is perhaps the most surprising revelation in today’s sequence of moves. Cisnero was behind schedule to start camp and felt some discomfort in his most recent outing, but prior to today’s announcement there was no indication he’d require such a lengthy absence. It’s a notable loss for the Tigers, given the 32-year-old’s 3.45 ERA, 24 holds and four saves over the past two seasons.

Chafin, who signed a two-year, $13MM contract with an opt-out after the 2022 season will hope for a minimal absence. There’s been no indication from the club that he’s expected to require a long stay on the IL, but he’s been trending toward a 10-day placement since originally experiencing pain at the end of March. Hill has also been ailing since the final day of March, so his move to the IL doesn’t rate as much of a surprise.

As for the 29-year-old Del Pozo, he lasted the offseason on Detroit’s 40-man roster after allowing two runs on eight hits and no walks with four punchouts during a brief Detroit debut late in the 2021 campaign. He’s allowed a total of 20 runs in 18 1/3 Major League innings, however, and didn’t help his cause this spring when he appeared in two games and was tagged for a combined five runs in just one inning of work. Detroit will have a week to trade him or try to pass him through outright waivers.

Veterans Anderson and Peralta will give the Tigers some pitching depth in the minors to begin the season. Anderson joined the club on a minor league deal in mid-March and allowed three earned runs on nine hits and a walk with a pair of strikeouts in five innings during camp. He’s struggled substantially in the Majors across the past two seasons but from 2014-19 was a solid back-of-the-rotation arm, logging a combined 3.94 ERA in 857 innings between the D-backs and Brewers.

Peralta seems even likelier to be added to the big league roster, despite his assignment to a Class-A affiliate. The right-hander had a strong showing in Detroit last year after signing a minor league pact, pitching to a 3.07 ERA across 18 appearances (17 starts) — a total of 93 2/3 innings. But Peralta was slow to get to camp, owing to visa issues, and he’ll remain at the Tigers’ Lakeland facility, where their High-A team plays, as he builds up toward game readiness. Peralta didn’t make it to Tigers camp until this past weekend and didn’t have time to get into an official spring game, but once he’s built up he’ll be an option to join the club’s rotation or pitch in a long-relief role.

Tigers Riley Greene To Miss Opening Day With Foot Fracture

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12:02 PM: The preliminary timetable for Greene’s recovery pegs his return at 6-8 weeks, per The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen (via Twitter). Greene would almost certainly need time in the minors, and that’s far enough down the line that there are any number of factors that will determine when Greene might actually make his big league debut.

9:06 AM: Tigers top prospect Riley Greene has fractured his right foot, per MLB.com’s Jason Beck (via Twitter). The injury will not require surgery, but he won’t be ready for opening day. Greene is a consensus top prospect in baseball, ranked 4th overall by Baseball America, 5th by MLB.com, and 6th by Baseball Prospectus.

It’s a bummer of a break for the Tigers, who had dreams of seeing Greene take over as their everyday center fielder from day one. Instead, the former number five overall pick will begin the year on the injured list, and there’s no telling when he might be ready. Because he was not on the 40-man roster, however, Greene will not accumulate service time while on the injured list.

Instead, Victor Reyes figures to get a lot more playing time to start the year. He was told that he made the team a couple of days ago, per Evan Woodbery of the MLive Media Group (via Twitter). Reyes posted a .258/.284/.416 line over 220 plate appearances in 2021. The 27-year-old switch-hitter has an 81 wRC+ over 944 plate appearances over his four-year career.

Greene’s potential had helped raise the ceiling for Detroit, turning them into a popular sleeper pick to improve this season, but instead they will turn back to a familiar face in Reyes. Daz Cameron will not be recalled for now, and Derek Hill will not be physically ready for the opener, notes veteran reporter Chris McCosky (via Twitter).

That leaves Reyes as the likely regular in center, especially since Akil Baddoo is currently slated to start in left field. The other potential configuration would put Baddoo in center with Eric Haase or Harold Castro seeing some time in the outfield.

Tigers Notes: Manaea, Montas, Greinke, Torkelson, Greene

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The Tigers have had an active offseason, acquiring Javier Báez, Eduardo Rodríguez, Andrew Chafin and Tucker Barnhart. They could still use some help at the back of the rotation, though, and they’ve been tied to a few starting pitchers in recent days.

Jon Heyman of the MLB Network tweeted last night that Detroit was among the teams in discussions with the A’s about Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea. It is widely believed Oakland will move one or both of those players, as the A’s have kicked off their long-rumored reboot since the lockout was lifted. Chris Bassitt, Matt Olson and Matt Chapman have already been shipped out. Manaea, entering his final year of club control, seems a lock to change teams. Montas has an additional year of control, but that was also true of Chapman and Olson.

Either would be a marked upgrade to the rotation, beyond a typical back-of-the-rotation acquisition. Manaea tossed 179 1/3 innings of 3.91 ERA/3.68 SIERA ball last season, his third sub-4.00 showing in four full seasons. Montas was even better, pitching to a 3.37 ERA in 187 frames with a strong 26.6% strikeout rate.

The A’s two starters may be the top two arms available to pitching-needy clubs. Every currently healthy starting pitcher who made MLBTR’s Top 50 Free Agents list entering the offseason has already signed. The Reds don’t intend to trade Luis Castillo or Tyler Mahle, leaving few obvious remaining trade candidates.

Detroit general manager Al Avila met with reporters (including Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free-Press) this afternoon. He acknowledged that the market was “thinning out a little bit” but said the front office was “still trying to improve the team.” The Tigers were reportedly involved in the bidding for Zack Greinke before the six-time All-Star returned to the Royals on a $13MM deal. Avila confirmed as much today, saying “we were in the Greinke situation” but that the righty preferred to “(go) back to Kansas City and the place where he started.” Avila implied the Tigers were prepared to make an offer at least competitive with the Royals’ proposal but suggested Detroit was at a geographic disadvantage against their division rivals.

Asked about the possibility of acquiring one of the A’s hurlers, Avila said they’ve looked into making an impact acquisition via trade but expressed a desire “to be careful” in not parting with too much prospect talent. Montas, given his two years of control and superior numbers, would bring back more in return than would Manaea.

Speaking of top prospects, Avila addressed the status of Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene. Both young hitters are among Baseball America’s top five overall minor league talents, and each had excellent late-season showings with Triple-A Toledo last year. Whether either of Torkelson or Greene will make the Opening Day roster is one of the biggest questions for the organization.

Avila denied that service time considerations would play a role in whether to carry those players out of camp. “When a player is ready to come up, and the team is ready to go, there’s no reason to hold a player back. I was not taught that way,” the GM said, via Petzold. “I also believe I’m not arrogant enough to think that I could hold a guy back and we’re going to get by and we’re going to make the playoffs anyway. You got to go full bore from Day 1. Those few games at the beginning could mean everything at the end. That’s the way I was taught. Our decision is going to be to put the best team on the field where we can win and get to the playoffs.”

To be clear, that’s not a formal declaration that either of Greene or Torkelson will break camp. Avila said the front office will “know it when we see it” when asked about when those players will be ready for their debuts. There’d seem to be a real opportunity for either to open the year on the MLB roster. Putting Torkelson at first could allow Jonathan Schoop to kick back to second base, which might otherwise be manned by Willi Castro or Harold Castro. Greene could be an option for either left or center field, where he’d presumably be complemented by Akil Baddoo and Robbie Grossman, with Víctor Reyes moving into a fourth outfield role.

Tigers Notes: Turnbull, Torkelson, Greene, Barnhart

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Spencer Turnbull was off to a strong start to the 2021 season, working 50 innings of 2.88 ERA ball with a massive 57.2% ground-ball rate over his first nine starts — one of which was a no-hitter against the Mariners. After those productive first two months, the right-hander landed on the injured list with what was originally termed a forearm strain. Early reports indicated that Turnbull may be able to avoid a long-term absence, but it emerged in mid-July that he’d torn his UCL and required Tommy John surgery. That procedure obviously ended his season and its timing cast his 2022 campaign in similar doubt. TJS procedures often require around 14 months of rehab time, raising a question of whether the University of Alabama product will be available at all this year.

Speaking with Chris McCosky of the Detroit News this afternoon, Turnbull expressed optimism about his chances of making it back to the majors late in the season. He tells McCosky he’s been throwing on flat ground for the past few weeks and generally feels his arm is progressing well. Like other players rehabbing from injury, he’s been unable to communicate with team personnel during the lockout. Turnbull described the situation as “weird” and “not ideal” but maintained he’s confident in the non-Tigers medical staff currently leading his recovery. The 29-year-old is controllable through 2024 via arbitration and projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for a modest $1.8MM salary this season.

More out of Detroit:

  • The delay to Opening Day puts the Tigers in an odd position with top prospects Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene, writes Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic. Both were expected to be in the mix for Opening Day roster spots, but the season’s delay will now likely push Major League Spring Training back to the point where it overlaps with the Triple-A season. The Tigers could be faced with pulling the pair from a more competitive setting in Triple-A to fly them back down to Florida for exhibition play — and then perhaps disrupting their season by sending them back to Toledo (where the team’s Triple-A affiliate plays) if either player is ultimately reassigned. It’s not a situation that’s unique to the Tigers, and one could even argue that Detroit is in an advantageous position, given that their two best prospects — both considered Top 10 throughout all of MLB — are both off the 40-man roster. The fact that neither is on the 40-man yet means that both are at least able to work out with team staff at their spring facility in Lakeland. Still, the organization faced a potentially difficult decision in the first place, and the delay to Opening Day adds another layer. Stavenhagen also has quotes from both players on the matter and some general observations from minicamp.
  • The Tigers kicked off their offseason by acquiring backstop Tucker Barnhart from the Reds. The seven-year veteran has taken on an active role in the MLB Players Association for the bulk of his career, and he’s been involved in the union’s efforts during this stage of collective bargaining talks. Barnhart spoke with Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free-Press in the wake of the league’s announcement Tuesday that it was canceling the first two series of the regular season. The two-time Gold Glove winner, who wasn’t attending this week’s negotiations in-person, admitted he woke up Tuesday morning believing the parties would finalize a new CBA in time to avoid that outcome based on the optimistic reports that had trickled out the night before. However, Barnhart says he learned Tuesday morning that while the previous night’s discussions had made some progress, the gaps hadn’t been closed as much as had seemed — a common refrain echoed by many on the players’ side. He and Petzold discuss the various issues that remain to be sorted out.

Tigers Notes: Torkelson, Greene, Hess

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The Tigers announced Spencer Torkelson as a third baseman when they selected him with the first overall pick in the 2020 draft. That was in spite of the fact that Torkelson was primarily a first baseman/corner outfielder at Arizona State University, where fellow prospects Alika Williams, Drew Swift and Gage Workman generally covered the more demanding positions on the dirt. The primary selling point for Torkelson has always been his bat, but there was no harm for the Tigers in giving him some action on a position of higher import in the minors.

Last season, Torkelson started 75 minor league games at first base while logging 43 starts at the hot corner. He played exclusively first base upon reaching Triple-A in mid-August, though, and Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press writes that he’s worked solely at first thus far in minor league minicamp. Petzold suggests the Tigers view Torkelson as a permanent first baseman moving forward. That’s largely been the opinion of most prospect evaluators anyhow, yet the 22-year-old is still regarded among the top handful of minor league talents in the game. After hitting .267/.383/.552 across three levels in his first full professional season, Torkelson was rated by Baseball America as the sport’s No. 5 overall farmhand. He figures to be the Tigers regular first baseman before long, where’d he join Jonathan Schoop, Jeimer Candelario and Javier Baez in the primary infield.

More out of the Motor City:

  • Petzold also profiles fellow top prospect Riley Greene, the No. 5 overall selection from the 2019 draft, noting that Greene has a “good chance” to break camp with the Major League club in 2022. Greene, ranked by Baseball America as the game’s No. 4 overall prospect (one spot ahead of Torkelson), will vie with former first-rounder Derek Hill and Victor Reyes for an outfield spot alongside veteran Robbie Grossman and Rule 5 sensation Akil Baddoo. The 21-year-old Greene posted a massive .301/.387/.534 with 24 home runs, 25 doubles, eight triples and 16 stolen bases (in 17 attempts). Greene did fan in 27.4% of his plate appearances, but his power and a hearty 11.3% walk rate helped to combat those punchouts. If Greene does break camp with the big league club, he’d be penciled in as manager AJ Hinch’s everyday center fielder. It’d be a departure from conventional industry wisdom, as top minor leaguers such as Greene and Torkelson are regularly held down for a few weeks early in the season to secure a seventh year of club control. The Tigers are aiming to get back to contention this season, however, and an extra few weeks of their best prospect(s) could prove vital in that regard. It’s also possible, of course, that changes to the service time mechanics are agreed upon under the forthcoming collective bargaining agreement anyhow.
  • Right-handed pitching prospect Zack Hess will miss the entire 2022 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in January, reports Chris McCosky of the Detroit News (Twitter link). Hess, who’ll turn 25 this week, ranks 25th among Detroit farmhands over at FanGraphs and, based on his 2021 output, might’ve eventually emerged as a big league bullpen option in 2022 had he been healthy. The 2019 seventh-rounder posted a combined 3.42 ERA and punched out 29.6% of his opponents between Class-A Advanced (49 2/3 innings) and Double-A (three innings) this past season. He also allowed just six homers in that time (1.02 HR/9). The big red flag for Hess was command, as he also issued a free pass to 15% of his opponents. Hess will need to improve upon that command, of course, but he won’t have the opportunity to hone that skill until the 2023 season at the earliest, it seems.

AL Central Notes: Torkelson, Greene, Barnes, New Zealand, Tito

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Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson and center fielder Riley Greene are universally credited as being in the upper echelon of baseball prospects. In his latest piece for The Athletic, Cody Stavenhagen breaks down the odds of either Detroit player making the team’s Opening Day roster. Detroit officials have been cagey about handing either first round draftee a starting job, owing to recent injury concerns and asterisks next to both players’ dominant minor league campaigns (Torkelson, owner of .935 OPS last season, has seen his batting average drop with each minor league promotion; Greene, owner of a .921 OPS, struck out 153 times in 124 games). Asterisks aside, both players are clearly primed for Major League action soon, even if some extra seasoning is required before they assume their natural positions at the big league level. The possibility remains that Opening Day is pushed back while the minor league season starts as scheduled, giving top young talent a chance to refine their approaches in the minors and make the Opening Day team.

Some other notes from the AL Central…

  • One of Detroit’s less heralded minor league talents also has reason to believe he’ll be making an impact on the Tigers roster this year. Reliever Jacob Barnes, who signed a pre-lockout minors pact with the team, recently discussed with Evan Petzold of The Detroit Press why he eschewed offers from over a dozen other teams to sign with Detroit. Barnes believes the Tigers coaching staff can help him refine a pitch arsenal that has become inconsistent in the wake of injuries in recent seasons. With a fastball that can once again hit 98mph, the hope for both player and team is that Barnes can build on the form that led to droves of strikeouts and groundballs in his first three seasons as a Brewer.
  • One last Tigers note, of less prudence but more international intrigue than the others. Per MLB.com’s transaction page, the Tigers have signed 18-year-old Clayton Campbell out of New Zealand to a minor league deal. The young prospect is viewed as third baseman at this point, though he also has catching and pitching experience. As an international free agent, Campbell was exempt from any restrictions that would prevent a team from signing him to a minor league deal during the lockout. He’ll look to work his way through the Tigers’ minor league system and become the first New Zealand native to reach the Major Leagues.
  • ESPN’s Buster Olney has a piece of good news for Guardians fans, reporting that manager Terry Francona remains on track to return in good health next season. After a number of health woes the past few seasons, it certainly registers as a positive development to hear Francona is on the upswing. Cleveland brass, fans, and rivals alike know firsthand how impactful the 2-time World Series winner can be from the dugout, as he’s guided his club to a strong 753-601 record during his 9-year Cleveland tenure.

Injury Notes: Sawamura, Tigers, Chirinos

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In pregame scrum before tonight’s ALCS game six, Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters that reliever Hirokazu Sawamura is dealing with a hamstring injury was potentially going to be removed from the roster. (Twitter links from Chris Cotillo of MassLive and Alex Speier of the Boston Globe.) However, Ian Browne of MLB.com later relayed word from Cora that Sawamura will be sticking around.

The Red Sox have their backs against the wall, as they are down 3-2 in the ALCS and will have to win in Houston tonight and tomorrow in order to survive. The health and effectiveness of every pitcher on the staff will be integral to their success in that regard. News of this hamstring issue is certainly concerning, though the fact that Sawamura has held his roster spot implies that the club still feels he’s a better option than bringing in a fresh arm, such as Matt Barnes. Sawamura has been a solid contributor out of the pen this year, as he had an ERA of 3.06 over 53 innings in the regular season, with a strikeout rate of 26.2% and 13.7% walk rate. He wasn’t on the team roster for the ALDS but has appeared three times in the ALCS so far, logging two innings in total.

Other injury notes…

  • Chris McCosky of The Detroit News relays some updates on a few Tigers prospects from the Arizona Fall League. Infielders Spencer Torkelson and Ryan Kreidler will both miss the remainder of the league due to an ankle injury and calf injury, respectively. Meanwhile, outfielder Riley Greene has completed his concussion protocol. It had already been announced last week that Greene would miss the AFL because of a concussion sustained at the end of the Triple-A season. For a Tigers club that has been rebuilding in recent seasons, their prospects are incredibly important to turning the corner into being competitive, and that includes these three. MLB Pipeline has Torkelson, Greene and Kreidler as the club’s first-, second- and tenth-best prospects. Baseball America has the same 1-2 punch at the top but has Kreidler at 12th. FanGraphs also starts out with Torkelson and Greene at the top but has Kreidler at 25th. All three players reached Triple-A this season for at least 40 games, meaning they are right on the doorstep and knocking on the door of the majors.
  • Rays’ righty Yonny Chirinos won’t be ready for next year’s opening day, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Chirinos has been out of action for more than year after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August of 2020, but has suffered a setback that will keep him out even longer. Topkin’s report says that the hurler fractured his elbow last month and that the best case scenario for his recovery would be for him to be on a rehab assignment in April or May. Before this extended absence, Chirinos was looking like he could be a foundational piece for the Rays. From 2018 to 2020, he threw 234 1/3 innings with an ERA of 3.65. Even without Chirinos, the rotation should be in decent shape, with the presence of arms such as Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen, Ryan Yarbrough, Luis Patino, Shane Baz, Josh Fleming, Brendan McKay and Dietrich Enns. The Rays have never had an opening day payroll higher than $77MM, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts, and Jason Martinez of Roster Resource estimates their payroll for next year to already be above $70MM. That doesn’t leave a lot of room for reinforcements, though they will surely non-tender a few of their arbitration-eligible players and bring that down a tad. The Rays are also always a candidate to figure out a way to move some money around, such as the contract of Kevin Kiermaier, whose name has been floated in trade talks for years and is entering the final guaranteed year of his contract, valued just over $12MM.

Tigers Notes: Goodrum, Greene, TV Deal

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Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that Niko Goodrum looks like a strong candidate to be non-tendered this off-season.  That’s notable in that Goodrum has spent the past four seasons in Detroit, taking on a prominent role around the diamond.  He delivered a decent 95 wRC+ and 1.9 fWAR in 2019, his second full year in the majors, but has struggled since then.  This past season he appeared in just 90 games, largely due to three stints on the 10-day IL.  And when he was on the field, he only managed a paltry .214/.292/.359 line, good for just a 79 wRC+. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects Goodrum to land an arbitration salary around $2.9MM if tendered a contract. He’d remain under team control for the 2023 campaign in that scenario as well.

In other news out of Motown:

  • The Tigers’ top outfield prospect, Riley Greene, won’t be playing in the Arizona Fall League as he had been slated to do.  Lynn Henning of the Detroit News revealed earlier this week that Greene suffered a concussion when he dove for a ball in the second-to-last game of the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens’ season.  It’s an unfortunate end to what was a terrific season for Greene, who hit for a .921 OPS in 124 games across the Double- and Triple-A levels.
  • The Tigers and Bally Sports Detroit have reached agreement on a new multi-year contract for the latter to continue broadcasting Detroit’s games, reports Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. Bally is part of the Sinclair Broadcast Group. Financial terms of the deal remain unknown, and it’s not clear if the new agreement will have any direct impact on Detroit’s payroll.  Regardless of the terms of the TV contract, the Tigers look likely to increase player payroll in the coming years as they emerge from their recent rebuild.

Tigers’ GM Al Avila Discuses Offseason Priorities

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The Tigers are slated to enter the 2022 campaign with more hope than they’ve had in a long while. Detroit’s rebuild has begun to bear fruit, with the team’s above .500 showing from May 1 onwards suggesting the roster has at least progressed to respectable after a four-season stretch in which the Tigers were among the worst teams in the league.

Detroit dipped into free agency a bit last offseason, picking up Robbie Grossman and bringing back Jonathan Schoop. Those low-cost additions paid off, and both Grossman and Schoop will return in 2022 (the latter on a midseason, two-year extension). Owner Christopher Illitch suggested in August the club could make some “high-impact” additions to the roster this winter. Speaking with reporters (including Evan Woodbery of MLive, Chris McCosky of the Detroit News and Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free-Press) this afternoon, general manager Al Avila shined some light on more specific target areas for the club.

Bolstering the starting pitching is a primary goal, with Avila bluntly noting that “an established starter would be a necessity, yes. … If you can add an established starter that can give you those type of innings, that’ll be a big plus for us. If we can’t, for whatever reason, then again, we’re going to have to mix and match more often. If we could come in and sign a good, established starter to be part of that rotation, it’s a big plus. We can’t guarantee that, because I don’t know how the market is going to play out.”

Detroit has broken in young pitchers like Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal and Matt Manning over the past couple years, but they’re lacking in veteran certainty at the moment. Excepting Mize, Spencer Turnbull and Matthew Boyd were the Tigers’ best starters this past season. Turnbull will miss most or all of next season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in July, and Boyd himself underwent a late-season elbow procedure that puts his future with the organization in question.

Boyd is expected to pitch at some point in 2022, but it’s not clear that’ll be in Detroit. The southpaw is entering his final season of arbitration eligibility and would be entitled to a raise on this year’s $6.5MM salary if tendered a contract. It’s possible Detroit non-tenders Boyd in hopes of re-signing him to a lesser salary. Doing that would give Boyd an opportunity to hear from other clubs, though, and Avila acknowledged such a scenario would involve “a decision to be made on his part, if it gets to that point.”

Regardless of whether the club tenders Boyd a contract, the season-opening rotation needs to be addressed. Manning himself struggled and could require some additional Triple-A time. Tyler Alexander had a nice season but has worked in a swing capacity throughout his career. Last offseason’s José Ureña pickup didn’t work out, while Wily Peralta quietly posted a 3.12 ERA over 92 1/3 innings but only struck out 14.4% of opposing hitters. Both Ureña and Peralta are slated to reach free agency this offseason. Reuniting with either player wouldn’t be costly, but both hurlers are better fits for the back-end of a rotation anyhow.

As always, free agency offers a wide variety of starting pitchers. Robbie Ray, Kevin Gausman, Marcus Stroman and former Tiger Max Scherzer are top-of-the-rotation arms who’ll land significant deals this winter. Jon Gray and Steven Matz are among the mid-rotation options, while there are a host of veteran innings-eater types who figure to land lower-cost one or two-year deals. Given the Tigers’ needs throughout the rotation, it seems likely Avila and his staff will try to land multiple additions, perhaps one higher-tier option and a more affordable back-end piece.

On the position player side, Avila pointed to shortstop and catcher as the most likely target areas. Niko Goodrum and Willi Castro are each coming off disappointing years, contributing to the Tigers’ cumulative .201/.275/.321 line from the shortstop position. The upcoming free agent class is loaded, and there’s already been speculation about the possibility of Astros star Carlos Correa reuniting with former Houston skipper A.J. Hinch in the Motor City. Correa’s just one of numerous options who’ll be available.

Any investment in the top of the shortstop market would certainly count as “high-impact,” but it’d require a significant expenditure. Avila didn’t rule out that possibility, telling reporters he’d have “no fear factor in signing a big contract” but cautioning that the front office doesn’t feel obligated to land a superstar in free agency.

The Tigers’ payroll outlook could certainly support such an investment, should Avila and his group zero in on Correa or any other top-of-the-market player. Detroit has just under $45MM on the books in guaranteed money for next season, in the estimation of Roster Resource’s Jason Martinez. That’s before accounting for an arbitration class that includes Turnbull, Michael Fulmer and Jeimer Candelario, but there’ll still be plenty of room if Illitch is willing to sign off on a payroll anywhere near the $160+MM range at which the franchise perennially spent before embarking on the rebuild.

With the rotation, shortstop and catching situation taking precedence, Avila downplayed the possibility of making significant alterations in the outfield. Grossman will return in a corner spot, while Akil Baddoo earned a season-opening job with an impressive performance as a Rule 5 draftee. Avila suggested top prospect Riley Greene could make an impact at some point, not surprising considering he’s begun his Triple-A career with a .308/.400/.553 line over 185 plate appearances. And the club still has Víctor Reyes and Derek Hill as in-house options capable of manning center field.

Hill, whose season ended early because of a meniscus tear in his left knee, will undergo surgery in the coming days, Hinch informed reporters. The manager downplayed the severity of the procedure, and it seems he’s expected to be ready for Spring Training. Hill’s one of numerous young players likely to take on key roles with next year’s club, but Avila’s comments unsurprisingly suggest the franchise anticipates taking further steps towards contention this winter.

AL Notes: White Sox, Astros, Tigers

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White Sox outfielder Adam Engel will be re-evaluated by team doctors tomorrow after straining his right hamstring in spring play today, per Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter). Engel, 29, has a relatively important role on the South Side this season as the fourth outfielder responsible for backing up Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, and Adam Eaton. While Engel unequivocally comes in behind those three in the outfield hierarchy, he nevertheless could see significant playing time as the only true reserve outfielder likely to make the roster. Engel had a career year in 2020 with a 122 wRC+ in 93 plate appearances after producing 38 percent below average over his first 1,047 plate appearances. Clearly, the sample size matters, but even if he regresses at the plate, Engel runs well and brings a quality glove to the outfield grass. If he ends up missing time, Leury Garcia would become their top outfield reserve. If Engel is out, that could open up an opportunity for the recently-signed Billy Hamilton or Luis Gonzalez to make the roster. Micker Adolfo, and Blake Rutherford would be the other contenders from the 40-man roster. Adolfo is the only right-handed hitter among that quartet. Elsewhere in the AL…

  • The Astros are unexpectedly trying to fill upwards to forty percent of their rotation for the first few weeks of the season. Framber Valdez’s finger injury led to the signing of Jake Odorizzi, but he won’t be ready by opening day. Cristian Javier is also in doubt for the start of the season. That’s opened a window for Brandon Bielak, who impressed manager Dusty Baker with a 70-pitch outing today, per MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart. Bielak worked on getting himself in shape to pitch deeper into games, and it’s showed so far this spring in Baker’s estimation. Bielak made six starts and twelve total appearances in his debut last season. He totaled 32 innings with a 6.75 ERA/7.00 FIP.
  • Top offensive prospects Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene were re-assigned to minor league camp today by the Tigers, per Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. Neither Torkelson, 21, nor Greene, 20, were expected to sniff the opening day roster, and both struggled throughout spring training. Still, the 1st and 5th overall selections of the past two drafts, respectively, have bright futures ahead of them in Detroit. Torkelson has yet to make his pro debut in a regular season game, while Greene finished his first pro campaign in Single-A.
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