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Detroit Tigers 2025 roster prediction 5.0: How Manuel Margot signing impacts final cuts
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- Detroit Tigers 2025 roster prediction 5.0: How Manuel Margot signing impacts final cuts
Opening Day is three days away.
The Detroit Tigers departed Sunday from the TigerTown spring training complex in Lakeland, Florida, still needing to trim their list of 35 players to a 26-man roster before Thursday's Opening Day against the Los Angeles Dodgers .
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That means nine players will be officially cut in the coming days.
The Tigers have exhibition games Monday and Tuesday against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in California, then the Tigers travel to Los Angeles for the first game of the regular season Thursday (7:10 p.m., ESPN) against the defending World Series champion Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.
ROSTER PREDICTION 4.0: Who replaces Parker Meadows, Matt Vierling on Opening Day roster?
Here's our fifth (and final) version of how the Tigers should fill their 26-man Opening Day roster for the 2025 season. The big changes? The rotation is set, and a new outfielder has joined the mix:
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This projection was made as of 6 a.m. Monday, March 24.
C: Jake Rogers
Detroit Tigers catcher Jake Rogers hits a single during the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida on Monday, March 3, 2025.
Rogers is locked in as the No. 1 catcher. More specifically, he returns as the personal catcher for reigning American League Cy Young winner (and Opening Day starter) Tarik Skubal .
In spring training, Rogers hit .171 (6-for-35) with one home run, two walks and 14 strikeouts in 14 games, spanning 38 plate appearances. He is a defense-first catcher, but his bat can pack a punch when he makes contact.
ROSTER PREDICTION 1.0: Who plays third base on Opening Day roster?
1B: Colt Keith
Detroit Tigers infielder Colt Keith practices from first base during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.
Keith has never played first base in a regular-season MLB game, but that's about to change. He still has much to learn about the nuances of the new position, so expect some growing pains.
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This spring, Keith hit .308 (16-for-52) with two walks and seven strikeouts across 18 games, spanning 54 plate appearances. All four of his extra-base hits were doubles.
2B: Gleyber Torres
Detroit Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres (25) runs the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning against the New York at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida, on Thursday, March 13, 2025.
Torres signed a one-year, $15 million contract with the Tigers this offseason. He has already set a goal of earning more than $100 million in free agency next year, but to reach that, he needs to produce at the plate.
This spring, Torres hit .270 (10-for-37) with three home runs, seven walks and nine strikeouts in 15 games, spanning 45 plate appearances. His performance should improve the Tigers' offense, even if he won't move off second base.
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SS: Trey Sweeney
Detroit Tigers shortstop Trey Sweeney (27) runs to first base during the third inning against the Boston Red Sox at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida, on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
Sweeney had some big moments down the stretch for the Tigers last season, including a season-saving catch, but he still has plenty to prove offensively if he wants to establish himself as the shortstop of the future.
This spring, Sweeney hit .227 (10-for-44) with one home run, seven walks and 14 strikeouts in 18 games, spanning 51 plate appearances. He received all of his reps at shortstop, though he can play second and third.
ROSTER PREDICTION 2.0: Should Jace Jung get runway at third base as Opening Day starter?
3B: Zach McKinstry
Detroit Tigers infielder Zach McKinstry bats against pitcher Tyler Owens during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025.
The Tigers optioned prospect Jace Jung to Triple-A Toledo , leaving a third base platoon of McKinstry against right-handed pitchers and Andy Ibáñez against left-handed pitchers. Without Jung, the Tigers would've used outfielder Matt Vierling as the primary third baseman, but he is sidelined with a right shoulder strain .
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This spring, McKinstry hit .256 (10-for-39) with one home run, two walks and five strikeouts across 18 games, spanning 43 plate appearances. He spent time at five positions, primarily third and right field, which reflects his upcoming role.
OF: Riley Greene (LF), Wenceel Pérez (CF), Kerry Carpenter (RF)
Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene practices a drill during spring training at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Fla. on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025.
Two outfielders are injured with no timetable for their return: Vierling, who can play all three outfield positions and third but is best suited for right, is dealing with a right shoulder strain; Parker Meadows , the everyday center fielder, is sidelined with a right upper arm nerve issue .
The Tigers won't have Meadows in MLB games until early May at the earliest, so they signed Manuel Margot — a right-handed hitter who can play center — to a one-year, $1.3 million contract on the final day of spring training.
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Greene, Pérez and Carpenter make sense in the outfield against right-handed pitchers, with Pérez in center; Greene, Margot and Pérez make sense in the outfield against left-handed pitchers (even though Pérez struggles against lefties), with Margot in center.
This spring, Greene hit .302 (13-for-43) with two home runs, six walks and 17 strikeouts in 16 games, spanning 49 plate appearances; Pérez hit .107 (3-for-28) with two walks and nine strikeouts in nine games, spanning 30 plate appearances; Carpenter hit .292 (14-for-48) with one homer, four walks and 10 strikeouts in 17 games, spanning 53 plate appearances.
DH: Justyn-Henry Malloy
Detroit Tigers outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy works out during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025.
The Tigers would benefit from locking in Carpenter as the designated hitter against right-handed pitchers to protect him from injury, given he hasn't completed a healthy season in the big leagues due to a shoulder strain and a back fracture.
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But if Carpenter starts in right field against righties, who serves as the designated hitter? It's likely to be Malloy or Spencer Torkelson , depending on who makes the Opening Day roster. The only problem: Both Malloy and Torkelson are better hitters against lefties, which complicates the situation.
This spring, Malloy hit .333 (16-for-48) with five walks and 11 strikeouts in 20 games, spanning 55 plate appearances; Torkelson hit .326 (15-for-46) with four home runs, four walks and 11 strikeouts in 18 games, spanning 51 plate appearances.
ROSTER PREDICTION 3.0: Searching for Opening Day answers without Alex Bregman
Bench: Dillon Dingler (C), Javier Báez (SS/3B), Andy Ibáñez (INF), Manuel Margot (OF)
Minnesota Twins right fielder Manuel Margot (13) slides into home after scoring on a hit by Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis (23) against the Detroit Tigers at Target Field in Minneapolis on Tuesday, July 2, 2024.
After signing Margot, the Tigers have three players in the mix for the final position player spot: Malloy, Torkelson and outfielder Jahmai Jones .
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It's likely down to Torkelson or Malloy.
Malloy is the best fit.
Here's what sets them apart: Both players crushed in spring training, but Malloy has nothing else to prove at the Triple-A level (unlike Torkelson), makes elite swing decisions (unlike Torkelson), is capable of playing the outfield (unlike Torkelson) and raked in his role in the 2024 postseason (unlike Torkelson).
This spring, Dingler hit .263 (10-for-38) with two home runs, four walks and eight strikeouts in 17 games, spanning 40 plate appearances; Báez hit .182 (6-for-33) with four walks and seven strikeouts in 13 games, spanning 38 plate appearances; Ibáñez hit .244 (10-for-41) with one homer, four walks and seven strikeouts in 18 games, spanning 47 plate appearances; Margot hit .250 (8-for-32) with three walks and five strikeouts in 11 games, spanning 35 plate appearances (with the Milwaukee Brewers ).
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Rotation: Tarik Skubal (LHP), Jack Flaherty (RHP), Reese Olson (RHP), Casey Mize (RHP), Jackson Jobe (RHP)
Detroit Tigers pitcher Jackson Jobe (21) is relieved during the fourth inning against the New York Yankees at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida, on Thursday, March 13, 2025.
The five-man rotation looked sharp in spring training.
The three leaders: Skubal had a 2.33 ERA with one walk and 24 strikeouts across 19⅓ innings in five starts; Flaherty had a 3.94 ERA with six walks and 16 strikeouts in 16 innings in four starts; Olson had a 4.30 ERA with three walks and 13 strikeouts across 14⅔ innings in four starts.
Mize separated himself as the clear-cut fourth starter after reinventing himself as a pitcher by doing three things: implementing three slider variations, increasing the velocity of his splitter and locating fastballs down in the zone. Jobe showed flashes of greatness befitting the top pitching prospect in baseball (per MLB Pipeline), but he struggled with pitch sequencing. While he has the potential to win Rookie of the Year, refining his sequencing should lead to more swings and misses, a necessity for thriving in the big leagues.
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Right-hander Keider Montero was optioned to Triple-A Toledo , where he would benefit from refining the consistency of his delivery to improve his command.
Bullpen: Kenta Maeda (RHP), Tommy Kahnle (RHP), Jason Foley (RHP), John Brebbia (RHP), Will Vest (RHP), Beau Brieske (RHP), Tyler Holton (LHP), Andrew Chafin (LHP)
Detroit Tigers pitcher Andrew Chafin (17) high-fives teammates after 7-2 win over Washington Nationals at Comerica Park in Detroit on Thursday, June 13, 2024.
There is one spot remaining for three relievers: Chafin, right-hander Brenan Hanifee and left-hander Brant Hurter . All three pitchers showed glimpses of success in spring training, but Hanifee was the most consistent of the group.
Although Chafin has a valuable track record as an 11-year MLB veteran, he can be assigned to Triple-A Toledo because he signed a minor-league contract .
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This spring, Chafin posted a 14.40 ERA with six walks and seven strikeouts across five innings six games; Hanifee registered a 0.00 ERA with three walks and eight strikeouts across 9⅔ innings in eight games; Hurter had a 4.91 ERA with four walks and nine strikeouts across 11⅔ innings in six games.
As for the rest of the relievers, the Tigers removed Maeda from the rotation competition and cemented him in the Opening Day bullpen , which means they've chosen not to eat his $10 million salary in the final year of his contract.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on demand at freep.com, Apple , Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts .
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers Opening Day roster prediction: Adding Manuel Margot to OF
