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Tigers cut 4 prospects from spring training, but not Kevin McGonigle
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- Tigers cut 4 prospects from spring training, but not Kevin McGonigle
LAKELAND, FL – The Detroit Tigers optioned three players and reassigned one player to minor-league camp Monday, March 9, in the fifth round of 2026 spring training roster cuts, leaving 49 players remaining in MLB camp (not including two players on the 60-day injured list).
There are 17 days until Opening Day on March 26.
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The four players removed from MLB camp: second/third baseman Hao-Yu Lee and catcher/first baseman Eduardo Valencia were optioned to Triple-A Toledo and catcher/first baseman Thayron Liranzo was optioned to Double-A Erie, while center fielder Max Clark was reassigned to minor-league camp.
ROSTER PREDICTION 2.0: Kevin McGonigle in, Parker Meadows out for 2026 Opening Day?
From left, Detroit Tigers outfielder Ben Malgeri, outfielder Trei Cruz, outfielder Max Clark and infielder Kevin McGonigle practice during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026.
The biggest takeaway?
Top prospect Kevin McGonigle , a 21-year-old shortstop who hasn't played above Double-A, is still in big-league camp with a chance to make the Tigers' Opening Day roster. The door remains open for him to make his MLB debut for the Tigers on March 26 against the San Diego Padres .
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Among the roster cuts, Clark ranks as the Tigers' No. 2 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline , followed by Lee at No. 6, Liranzo at No. 7 and Valencia at No. 25. Clark also ranks as the No. 10 prospect in baseball, with McGonigle as the only Tigers player ahead of him at No. 2 on MLB Pipeline's top-100 list .
Clark struggled throughout his first MLB spring training.
"He basically would be sitting around waiting for one at-bat at the end of games," manager A.J. Hinch said before Monday's spring game. "The playing time has dried up a little bit, and it's time for him to go get into his routines and take some things he learned in this camp and apply it day-to-day in his work."
The 21-year-old hit .111 (2-for-18) with one walk and five strikeouts in nine games, spanning 19 plate appearances. He went 0-for-13 at the plate in his final seven games. He also made multiple mistakes defensively , both in left and center field.
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The Tigers evaluated Clark beyond his performance.
"I think he learned a lot in this camp, and I think he grew a lot in this camp," Hinch said. "I love Max Clark. I love the way he goes about his work. He's obsessed with baseball and getting better. I know, production-wise, he was disappointed with his overall camp, but it's a great stepping stone for him to be a better, more well-rounded player."
'PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ME': Tigers' Max Clark responds to criticism over chains, lost fly balls
On Sunday night, Clark and Hinch exchanged text messages about in-game scenarios – less than 12 hours before the Tigers reassigned him to minor-league camp. He could return to Double-A when the season begins.
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Clark is hungry to learn as part of his development.
"It's been awesome," Hinch said. "He is a continuous learner. For him, the experience all the way around was more positive than not, even though he wants to be perfect."
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Of the other roster cuts, Lee is recovering from a left oblique strain that removed him from Team Chinese Taipei before the World Baseball Classic began, while both Liranzo and Valencia are offense-first catchers who need to improve defensively.
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Valencia, 26, hit .353 (6-for-17) with one home run, one walk and three strikeouts in 10 spring games; Liranzo, 22, hit .250 (3-for-12) with one home run, two walks and two strikeouts in seven games.
Lee and Valencia are the closest to making their MLB debuts.
"He got his body in really good shape to be able to move a little bit better," Hinch said of Liranzo, who is slated to return to Erie. "There are some small subtleties in all aspects of his catching that need to continue to grow. His overall game has taken a step forward. He's very determined to be 1% better every day."
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers spring training roster cuts: Max Clark, other prospects
