Austin Slater released by Tigers after veteran forces roster decision
LAKELAND, FL – The Detroit Tigers have released Austin Slater .
The 33-year-old outfielder was informed he wouldn't make the 2026 Opening Day roster on Saturday, March 21, after he triggered an automatic opt-out clause in his minor-league contract , forcing the Tigers to put him on the 40-man roster or let him become a free agent.
The Tigers granted Slater his unconditional release.
"He's a good player," manager A.J. Hinch said before Saturday's game in spring training. "It's very easy to see why teams have always really liked him. He brings experience. He brings skill. He's a good defender. He's a good baserunner. He's a very good hitter. For a role that he has generally played over the last few years, he's very adaptable."
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Slater, a nine-year MLB veteran, would have earned $2 million (with $500,000 in incentives) while in the big leagues had he been added to the 40-man roster. Without any minor-league options remaining, the Tigers wouldn't have been able to send him to Triple-A Toledo.
It was Opening Day roster or free agency.
Now, Slater gets to explore other opportunities.
"Not a lot to not like when it comes to how he fits on major-league rosters," Hinch said.
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In mid-February, the Tigers signed Slater to a minor-league contract with a non-roster invitation to spring training .
During spring training, Slater hit .267 (8-for-30) with one home run, five walks and 10 strikeouts in 15 games, registering an .856 OPS. He spent 29 innings in right field and 19 innings in left field, without any reps in center field.
His speciality is hitting left-handed pitchers as a right-handed hitter.
"We have a couple of guys who fit in that same category," Hinch said, referencing fellow outfielders Jahmai Jones and Matt Vierling , "which is where the discuss is surrounding right now. We'll see where it lands."
Had Jones or Vierling suffered an injury, Slater would've had an easy path to the Tigers' Opening Day roster – but all of the outfielders stayed healthy throughout camp.
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In his MLB career, Slater has hit .267 with a .787 OPS in 1,022 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers – compared to hitting .227 with a .640 OPS in 836 plate appearances against right-handers. He has been worth plus-4 and plus-5 defensive runs saved in left field and right field, respectively, across more than 3,500 innings in the outfield.
Slater has competed in 699 games with the San Francisco Giants (2017-24), Cincinnati Reds (2024), Baltimore Orioles (2024), Chicago White Sox (2025) and New York Yankees (2025).
His eight years in San Francisco overlapped with Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris , who served as the Giants' general manager from 2020-22.
The Giants selected Slater in the eighth round of the 2014 draft out of Stanford. He made his MLB debut for the Giants in June 2017.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers release Austin Slater in early Opening Day roster move
