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5 thoughts on Detroit Tigers entering 2025 season: A shortstop rental at trade deadline?
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- 5 thoughts on Detroit Tigers entering 2025 season: A shortstop rental at trade deadline?
The Detroit Tigers are almost ready for Opening Day.
The first game of the 2025 season is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. Thursday against the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
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The Tigers play six games on the West Coast before settling into Detroit for their home opener at 1:10 p.m. April 4 against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park.
Here are five observations about the Tigers as the 2025 season begins this week:
Predicting Opening Day lineup, batting order vs Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell
Blake Snell reacts during a press conference introducing him as a Los Angeles Dodger at Dodger Stadium on December 03, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
Two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell dominates all hitters, but particularly left-handed hitters. Lefties hit just .105 with a .467 OPS last season, whereas righties hit .187 with a .537 OPS. Expect the Tigers to load their Opening Day lineup with as many right-handed hitters as possible, even though they have a surplus of lefty hitters due to roster construction issues.
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ROSTER 4.0: Who replaces Parker Meadows, Matt Vierling on Opening Day roster?
Here's the projected Opening Day lineup and batting order, with handedness in parentheses:
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1. 2B Gleyber Torres (R)
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2. 3B Andy Ibáñez (R)
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3. CF Riley Greene (L)
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4. LF Justyn-Henry Malloy (R)
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5. 1B Colt Keith (L)
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6. DH Spencer Torkelson (R)
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7. SS Javier Báez (R)
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8. C Jake Rogers (R)
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9. RF Wenceel Pérez (S)
The projected four-man bench: left-handed hitters Kerry Carpenter , Zach McKinstry and Trey Sweeney , plus right-handed hitting backup catcher Dillon Dingler .
Torres has the most experience against Snell, hitting .133 (2-for-15) with one home run, three walks and five strikeouts in 18 plate appearances. Báez is the only other player on the Tigers' roster who has faced Snell, with five plate appearances.
Notably, Alex Bregman — a two-time All-Star third baseman who signed with the Boston Red Sox on Feb. 12 instead of the Tigers — has found success against Snell, hitting .353 (6-for-17) with one home run in 22 plate appearances. But Bregman won't be in a Tigers uniform on Thursday's Opening Day.
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Why didn't Tigers add another right-handed hitter?
It's not just Snell.
The Dodgers present additional challenges for the Tigers' left-handed-heavy lineup with four left-handed relievers in the bullpen. Just a week later, the Tigers will have to navigate New York Yankees left-handed starters Max Fried and Carlos Rodón .
The Tigers are exposed against left-handed pitchers, as their left-handed hitters — including Greene, an All-Star last season — struggle against same-handed hurlers.
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In 2024, the Tigers ranked 22nd among the 30 MLB teams with a .692 OPS against right-handed pitchers and 26th with a .660 OPS against lefties. Even during their 31-11 run to the postseason, the Tigers ranked ninth with a .753 OPS against righties but 20th with a .645 OPS against lefties.
Alex Bregman joined the Boston Red Sox.
While waiting for Bregman, the Tigers passed on right-handed slugger Anthony Santander — who signed a five-year, $92.5 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays — despite showing interest throughout free agency .
Randal Grichuk could have helped balance the lineup, considering he hit .319 with a .914 OPS against lefties last season, but he ultimately signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks . Ha-Seong Kim , a .268 hitter with a .786 OPS against lefties in his career, joined the Tampa Bay Rays on a one-year, $13 million contract with a $16 million player option for 2026.
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These were all missed opportunities for the Tigers to address a problem that has lingered.
It could be a wart again in 2025.
IT HURTS MORE: Alex Bregman on Tigers, free agency: 'We thought we were going to be in Detroit'
Would Gleyber Torres move off second base for culture-driven Tigers?
The Tigers have built their success on a culture where the team is more important than any individual. With that in mind, it's fair to wonder if the one right-handed hitter the Tigers added may end up hurting more than helping.
That player is Torres, who signed a one-year, $15 million contract after the Tigers promised he would be the everyday second baseman. He is already looking forward to returning to free agency after the 2025 season, seeking a deal worth more than $100 million .
Detroit Tigers infielder Gleyber Torres warms up during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025.
Consider two hypothetical scenarios: What if Torkelson returns to his previous 31-homer form? Or what if Malloy proves himself as an everyday hitter, but there isn't room for him in the outfield?
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Remember, the Tigers have no choice but to play Keith at first base, despite him having no experience there, after signing Torres to play second base. Meanwhile, the Tigers prefer Carpenter as their primary designated hitter to help keep him healthy. Additionally, Keith won't play third base because of injury concerns with the labrum in his right shoulder.
So, where would Torkelson or Malloy fit into the regular lineup — if they can hit? Here's the easy solution: Torres moves to third base, Keith switches back to second base, and either Torkelson or Malloy takes over as the first baseman.
But Torres doesn't want to play third base, as he declined to switch from second to third with the Yankees last season and turned down an offer from the Washington Nationals this offseason because they wanted him at third.
Would Torres change his tune for the Tigers during the season?
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Could Tigers consider calling up Kevin McGonigle in 2025?
President of baseball operations Scott Harris has talked about how some of the prospects he acquired are coming soon, highlighting center fielder Max Clark , infielder Kevin McGonigle and catcher Thayron Liranzo by name.
Perhaps the Tigers should keep the door open for McGonigle to make his MLB debut at the end of the 2025 season, if the offense needs a boost. McGonigle — who turns 21 in mid-August — is one of the best hitters in the minor leagues, blending elite swing decisions and elite contact skills.
WHAT WE KNOW: Tigers prospect Kevin McGonigle is going to hit, but will he stay at shortstop?
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It was notable when the Tigers sent McGonigle to third base for the first time in his professional career March 9 in a spring training game, joining an infield that featured Sweeney at shortstop, Torres at second and Torkelson at first. The Tigers then started McGonigle at third base in the Spring Breakout prospect game , in which he proved his arm strength is capable of making throws across the infield. Before this spring, McGonigle had only played shortstop and second base.
In reality, the Tigers are just trying to expand McGonigle's defensive versatility so he can be an option at second base, shortstop and third base whenever he gets to the big leagues, likely as part of the 2026 Opening Day roster.
But what if McGonigle — whose profile on offense has been compared to Bregman — hits his way through three levels of the minor leagues in 2025, from High-A West Michigan to Double-A Erie to Triple-A Toledo?
Never say never.
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WHAT WE LEARNED: Tigers top prospects (including Bryce Rainer) in Spring Breakout game
Short-term fix for Tigers shortstop problem?
There's no denying that the Tigers have a shortstop problem.
While Báez has been the worst hitter in baseball, Sweeney has yet to perform like the savior at shortstop after the Tigers acquired him from the Dodgers in the Jack Flaherty deal at the 2024 trade deadline.
The numbers don't lie: Since his MLB debut in mid-August, Sweeney has hit .205 with five home runs, 17 walks (8.7% walk rate) and 58 strikeouts (29.6% strikeout rate) through 196 plate appearances in 61 games, spanning the regular season, postseason and spring training. FanGraphs projects Sweeney to hit .224 with a .657 OPS in the 2025 season, while Báez is projected to hit .234 with a .651 OPS.
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The average MLB shortstop hit .248 with a .710 OPS last season.
Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette (12) tags out Detroit Tigers right fielder Matt Vierling (8) on an attempted stolen base in the sixth inning at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Wednesday, April 12, 2023.
What happens if the Tigers are in contention for a postseason spot — maybe even in the hunt to win the American League Central — but struggles at shortstop are holding them back? They could look to acquire two-time All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette from the Toronto Blue Jays at the July 31 trade deadline.
We won't know if the Blue Jays will be buyers or sellers at the deadline until the standings shake out. However, Bichette becomes a free agent after this season and hasn't discussed an extension with the Blue Jays, making him a two-month rental for postseason contenders if the Blue Jays decide to sell.
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Bichette could be the perfect short-term fix for the Tigers.
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: 5 thoughts on Tigers in 2025: A shortstop rental at trade deadline?
