5 Detroit Tigers who won't be on the roster in 2024

5 Detroit Tigers who won’t be on the roster in 2024

As the season draws to a close, the Detroit Tigers are seeing the dynamic of the team change. With Miguel Cabrera retiring, the team will continue to seek a new identity with their young core of players like Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson and pitches like Tarik Skubal and Matt Manning.

During the first year under President of Baseball Operations Scott Harris, the 40-man roster has been a mix of castoffs, potential upside players and seeing who they have in their farm system. While the term “castoffs” seems harsh, based on how several players have been placed to start the season in Triple-A Toledo, Harris has churned over the roster to get the best results possible who will stick to the organization’s new philosophy of controlling the strike zone.

One player who was signed that has provided perhaps the best performance out of the bullpen is left-hander Tyler Holton, who has produced an impressive 2.5 WAR season. He was signed by Harris in the offseason to provide depth to the bullpen, and made the team out of spring training. Zach McKinstry has also been a good utility player for Detroit as a left-handed bat.

However, when you look at the 40-man roster, on the surface, it looks like heading into the off-season, it will be one that the potential to have either a few changes or since Harris has a better idea of what he is working with, some major changes. Let’s start with the bullpen, since the signs of change seem to be appearing.

5. RHP José Cisnero

At the end of August, Detroit placed Cisnero on waivers, signaling a likely end to his tenure with the team. Cisnero will become a free agent after the season, making the waiver move a clear indicator of the direction the organization is headed with him.

His numbers this season, especially in leverage situations, have not been good. Opponents are batting .271/.353/.424 in high leverage situations against Cisnero in 2023. With runners in RISP, and two outs, teams are batting .333/.436/.576. The K rate and fastball velocity have been holding steady among MLB percentile rankings, but the problem has been secondary pitches and their ability to limit hard contact.

Cisnero’s slider, which boasted a 41.2% whiff rate last season, has seen a decline to 33.7% this year, diminishing the effectiveness of his other pitches. His fastball, against which teams are batting .217, has given up five home runs. The drop in slider efficiency means teams can more easily anticipate the fastball, especially if his slider and sinker aren’t performing as expected.

Detroit does have a younger alternative in Brendan White, who is on the 40-man roster and could slide over as a high leverage option in 2024.

4. UTL Andy Ibañez

Ibañez has been a solid free agent pickup by Harris. Similar to McKinstry, who can play all over the diamond, Ibañez has mainly seen time at second base since Detroit parted ways with Jonathan Schoop.

However, waiting in the wings down in Toledo is Colt Keith, who has been the Tigers best hitting prospect this season. You can also make a case for 2022 first-round draft pick Jace Jung, who has been hitting with power in Double-A Erie, but the question becomes where does Detroit want to place Keith in 2024? He has seen a lot of time at both third and second, so with that in mind, the Tigers would like to start that service time clock on Keith in 2024.

Keith’s statistics this season are indeed impressive. Batting .311 with a .386 on-base percentage and a .562 slugging percentage, he’s racked up 27 home runs and 99 RBIs across Double and Triple-A levels. For many observers, aside from defensive considerations and figuring out his optimal position, there’s little left for Keith to prove.

Ibañez, on the other hand, hasn’t done anything wrong. He’s fulfilled every task asked of him. However, Detroit is expected to continue its youth movement into 2024. Given that the Tigers have several versatile players in their system capable of playing multiple positions, it appears Ibañez may not have a clear spot on the roster for the upcoming season.

3. RHP Spencer Turnbull

When the chance for Turnbull to come off the IL from a neck injury and head back to Detroit was there, the Tigers opted to keep Turnbull in Toledo to continue working on his secondaries. While the numbers played a big reason why Spencer was not considered for a call-up, (7.26 ERA 1.67 WHIP in 31 innings of work), the tension has been building under the surface that Turnbull may seek a new home.

According to a story in The Athletic ($), Harris revealed that following a conversation in which Turnbull was optioned to the minor leagues—thus halting his accrual of major-league service time—Turnbull disclosed he was experiencing neck discomfort. This disclosure came after Turnbull had a poor start against St. Louis and left the room where the conversation with Harris had taken place. The injury can be traced back to an April 6 start against Boston, where he dodged a comebacker and suffered a neck stinger.

Due to the injury, Turnbull was eligible to remain on the Major League injured list, enabling him to continue accruing service time. However, the timing and lack of communication on Turnbull’s part have potentially eroded any remaining patience the Detroit organization may have had with him.

2. LHP Matthew Boyd

Matthew Boyd is a great clubhouse guy and a team leader, but once again, injuries cost him another season. He underwent Tommy John surgery at the end of June, this coming off the heels of having flexor tendon surgery in September 2021, which cost him almost the entire 2022 season.

The signing of Boyd to a one-year contract served as a stopgap solution for a rotation that entered the 2023 season without Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal, and Spencer Turnbull. With Boyd set to miss a significant portion of the 2024 season, Detroit faces another rotation dilemma. However, the emergence of prospects like Reese Olson and possibly Sawyer Gipson-Long provides the team with internal options. Given what appears to be a weak free-agent pitching class, Detroit may opt to rely on these emerging talents or consider trading for a veteran arm to solidify the rotation.

1. LHP Eduardo Rodríguez

Since the trade attempt involving Rodriguez and the Dodgers at the trade deadline—an attempt Rodriguez vetoed since LA was on his 10-team no trade list, Detroit Tigers fans have maintained a degree of optimism. They hope that Eduardo will opt to stay for the remaining three years left on his contract, which would be worth $49 million.

After all, with quotes like this, you could perhaps see how Detroit fans could see this situation possibly unfold.

While optimism among Detroit Tigers fans remains, the reality is that the upcoming off-season’s free-agent class for starting pitchers is considered weak. This potentially opens the door for Rodriguez to command a higher salary elsewhere should he choose to test the market. Although money isn’t everything, it’s worth noting that Eduardo has not officially announced his intention to return to Detroit, adding another layer of uncertainty to the situation.

It’s entirely possible that Rodriguez may prefer to stay in the Eastern Time Zone, and several teams in both the American and National Leagues would likely be willing to pay for a starter of his caliber. While a return to Detroit isn’t out of the question, if Rodriguez finds an opportunity that provides a better financial situation for his family, he may choose to seek his fortunes elsewhere.